Poet denies funeral scam on families
Y CONSCIENCE is clear and I’m not a scammer.”
This was how the “people’s poet”, Mzwakhe Mbuli, yesterday dismissed allegations of cashing in on fellow artists’ funerals and fraudulently pocketing some of the money donated towards their funeral costs.
Mbuli was the master of ceremonies at the funerals of kwaito star Mduduzi “Mandoza” Tshabalala and actor Christopher “Gunman” Kubheka.
Mbuli trended on Twitter on Wednesday and yesterday after Power FM sports presenter Thabiso Mosia posted tweets accusing the poet and his group of legends of scamming some artists’ grieving families.
Mosia tweeted: “Part of the scam (is) they ask the family how they can help (venue hire, food, transport, sound). They then go to ministers/MECs to ask for the $$.”
In another tweet, the radio presenter wrote: “Mzwakhe also has a scam involving the funeral programme and who speaks/ speeches/ performs. This is one of the saddest, cos pastors are involved (sic).”
In the series of damning tweets, Mosia, who claims to have been at all the meetings to organise Mandoza’s funeral, further posted that “Mbuli and his group hired themselves out as funeral planners”.
“Mzwakhe wanted 70k to organise sound for MDZ (Mandoza) funeral. We (fam) said no, cos Arthur Mafokate was offering his sound for free (sic). Mzwakhe threw a fit,” he added.
But Mbuli dismissed the allegations as untrue and said he has documents to prove that he wasn’t a scammer.
The 59-year-old noted he had not offered to be the MC at the funerals, but rather that the families had insisted he be programme director.
“The wife of Mandoza (Mpho Tshabalala), as well as that of Gunman, asked me to be the programme director at both funerals,” he said.
Mbuli added that although he was scheduled to undergo voice surgery, he willingly stepped in to help the legend’s widow, who desperately needed a venue for her husband’s funeral just two days before it was scheduled to be held last year.
“She called me at 11pm to say they don’t have a venue,” he said. “Before Mandoza’s funeral, I had a voice operation and again I told them that they should get someone else, but instead they voted that I should be the programme director,” he added.
Paid for
Mbuli said that when the venue was found for the kwaito star’s funeral, it was paid for by the Gauteng Department of Arts and Culture, and that he didn’t pocket any money, as claimed.
Mbuli blasted Mosia and said that if the sports presenter had assisted the family, there would not have been any need for him to step in.
“The allegations against me are simply false. I was not even part of the memorial planning,” said Mbuli.
The people’s poet insisted that he did not charge to read poems at funerals, especially if the family requested him to be the MC.
Mbuli said he had referred the matter to his lawyer and was waiting for legal advice on how he should proceed.