MANDOZA ROBBED FROM THE GRAVE
MANDOZA ’ s wife Mpho has allegedly fired the late kwaito star’s manager after accusing him and People ’ s Poet Mzwakhe Mbuli of trying to defraud her husband’s estate.
We are told that Mpho gave Kevin Ntaopane his marching orders after discovering a letter allegedly written by the two to the Music Association of South Africa (Masa) on her behalf, requesting funds to bankroll Mandoza’s record label Nkalakatha Records.
We were also made to believe that Mpho also confronted Ntaopane about allegations that he pocketed donor funds meant to help the family bury the award-winning artist.
Mpho confirmed that she confronted Ntaopane about the letter and was waiting for evidence from Masa before pressing fraud charges against him and Mbuli. “I have never asked anyone to write a letter requesting money to fund Nkalakatha Records.”
Mpho said she was informed of the letter by Masa founder Tebogo Sithathu.
“I was at the Samro [Southern African Music Rights Organisation] offices after the death of my husband to enquire about his royalties when I bumped into Tebogo who told me that he received my letter and he was processing it. I then asked him what letter? He said the letter that was sent to him by Mzwakhe and Kelvin asking for funds for Nkalakatha. I was shell-shocked and told him I didn’t know what he was talking about. I felt like crying, how can people do these things to us?”
Mpho downplayed allegations that she released Ntaopane from his duty as Mandoza’s manager.
“He was never his manager and he is not his manager, ” she said.
Mpho also confirmed she confronted Ntaopane about the donor funds allegations.
“I asked him about that and he told me that there was no such thing. I heard that he was giving people bank notes at the funeral,” she said.
Sithathu confirmed that Mbuli sent him a Whatsapp message which said he got a letter from Mpho, asking for funds to bankroll Nkalakatha Records. “I asked him to send me the letter. I don’t remember if he did but I think he sent it to me via Whatsapp, ” he said.
Sithathu said he was shocked to hear Mpho neither wrote the letter nor sanctioned it.
“That ’ s fraud, I will talk to Mzwakhe about this, I think whoever is responsible must be charged with fraud because the letter is fake,” he said.
Ntaopane confirmed Mpho confronted him about the alleged letter and donor funds but denied that she fired him.
“She confronted me about the letter but I told her that I know nothing about it. It could have been a letter we wrote asking for funds to hire a sound system for the funeral,” he said.
Ntaopane said as far as he was concerned he was still Mandoza’s manager.
Attempts to solicit comments from Mbuli drew a blank as he ignored phone calls and text messages sent to him.