Showmax confirmed to IOL Entertainment this week that it had removed Leon's films from their catalogue while they undergo a process to review them for any “racially insensitive material”. “We removed Leon Schuster content as a precautionary measure, pending a review to ensure there is no racially insensitive material.

That review is currently underway. "This is part of a wider review of content on Showmax — it's something happening in parallel with reviews by streaming services worldwide,” said Richard Boorman, Showmax's head of communications. The veteran comedian has portrayed countless characters in blackface in about nine of his hugely successful films over the years, including Mama Jack, There's a Zulu On My Stoep and Mr Bones. The content has been deemed racially insensitive by some South Africans, mostly because of Schuster's decision to be in blackface in the films. Schuster told Sowetan that he was "disappointed" that his films were removed from Showmax.

"I'm obviously very disappointed and I don't see the reason behind it. I'm trying to find the reason and I'm battling," Schuster said. "I try to bring people together with laughter. There is no race in my heart. I don't see black, white, pink or purple - I just see a person. "If they are in my region when I do candid camera I go for whoever it is... I don't have a preference to one race. "... There has never been racism in any of the stuff that I've done. My heart is that of a living and loving South African."