Sulumani in fist fight
DENDERA singer Sulumani Chimbetu brief ly exchanged the guitar for boxing gloves when he was involved in a fist fight with a fan during a show at Takarangana Club in Hatcliffe. The fan only identified as Nathan who was visibly drunk started the brawl by disrupting the show, throwing tantrums and hurling some unprintable words.
When other fans tried to control him, he became so agitated and violent.
Miffed by his actions, Sulumani had to briefly stop the show and exchange some blows with the fan. Nathan was overpowered and ran for his dear life.
“Yes, I can confirm the incident. He was disrupting the show and we ended up fighting,” said Sulu. Skirmishes have in the past characterised Sulumani’s show.
At one point he was forced to explain the lyrics of his song “Sean Timba” after he was accused by a section of the society of promoting violence. “I wasn’t promot- ing violence, I was just saying as artistes we should deal with piracy,” he said then. The artiste then redeemed himself with his 2016 song titled “It’s not neces- sary” where he calls for peace.
This was Sulu’s first gig after his much publicised maintenance case which is before the courts. Sulumani who is paying $800 maintenance towards the upkeep of two minors he sired with Marygold Mutemasango, recently applied for the reduction of the amount to $200. Through his lawyer, Sulu cited economic hardships and changed circumstances, adding that the $800 he is paying was exorbitant and unsustainable.
However, Mutemasango said Chimbetu was a brand and was able to pay the money and implored the court to dismiss the application.
In his application, Chimbetu submitted that people were no longer attending shows in their numbers as they used to and he was now holding fewer shows owing to economic hardships, hence he was failing to make ends meet.
Sulu, as the musician is affectionately known, further added that he does not get income from some of his roles as a brand ambassador.