The stage has been set for a legal showdown between King Monada and Limpopo Arts Movement (LAM) chairperson Mphoza Mashabela.
Sunday World can exclusively reveal that after several years of exchanging legal correspondence and failing to reach an out-of-court settlement, the two will finally face off in court on September 2.
According to the court papers that we have seen, the case will be heard in the Ritavi Magistrate’s Court in Nkowankowa township, outside Tzaneen, Limpopo. “Be pleased to take notice that the plaintiff intends to enrol this matter for hearing scheduled to take place on the 2nd of September 2024 at 9:00 or so soon thereafter as the matter may be heard,” read the papers.
King Monada, real name Khutso Kgatle, raffled Mashabela’s feathers when he failed to show up at his annual event, the Limpopo Legends Awards, to honour music legends Caiphus Semenya, Letta Mbulu, Penny Penny and Sello Galane, among others.
As a result of King Monada’s snubbing of the awards, Mashabela unleashed his lawyers, Thobejane Incorporate, to sue the musician for damages and failure to honour his contractual obligation to perform at the event.
The lawyers wrote to King Monada and demanded a refund of the R35 000 appearance fee paid to him.
They also wanted him to pay Lila’s legal costs and for the reputational damage the organisation suffered as a result of his failure to show up at the jamboree. But King Monada refused and said his manager, Albert Makwela, must catch the smoke because he knew nothing about the gig or the money.
He told the lawyers that Makwela should take full responsibility for the faux pas.
Speaking to Sunday World, Harry Thobejane of Thobejane Incorporated confirmed that they would go toe to toe with King Monada and his legal team after failing to settle out of court.
Relating the matter, Thobejane said King Monada was paid to perform at the event in 2022, but failed to pitch up, leaving his fans high and dry.
Afterwards, he said, Makwela wrote a letter to LAM, stating that King Monada would perform at the organisation’s event last year instead of refunding the money, and they agreed.
Thobejane said that after the agreement, LAM distributed posters and even announced on various radio stations that the Ska bhora Moreki hitmaker would be part of the line-up of artists to perform at the do.
But to their chagrin, King Monada marooned them when he failed to pitch up again.
He did this allegedly without providing the organisers with a cogent reason for dumping them at the 11th hour.
Thobejane said he later contacted Makwela because he wanted to send him a letter of demand but the artist told him that he was not feeling well.
Thobejane said that when he contacted the music megastar, he told him he knew nothing about the show and that Makwela should carry the cross for the blunder.
“We are now ready to ventilate this matter before the court of law, and we hope that justice will be served for my clients.”
Mashabela said he was unable to comment on the matter, citing the subjudice rule.
“Let’s wait for the outcome of these court proceedings, and then we can talk about it,” he said.
