Award-winning vocalist Thandeka Ngema, better known by her stage name MaWhoo, was forced to miss a much-anticipated New Year’s Eve performance at Sun City after her team was thought to have been involved in a racial attack that seriously damaged their tour bus.
MaWhoo Entertainment confirmed in a press release on Wednesday that the singer was unable to perform at the RustyRocks Metro FM Tap Into 2026 New Year’s Eve event at the Sun City Resort because of circumstances beyond her control.
According to the statement, MaWhoo and her team were travelling to Sun City from a prior engagement when they encountered what was described as a “severe racial incident and attack”.
Apology to fans and stakeholders
The touring bus was reportedly severely damaged in the incident, which led to major delays and ultimately prevented the artist from getting to the venue in time for her performance.
“Despite all reasonable efforts by MaWhoo Entertainment and the RustyRocks team, it was not possible for the artist to arrive in time,” the statement reads.
Fans were disappointed by the incident because they had been looking forward to MaWhoo’s performance to start the new year.
The organisers and the artist’s management issued an apology to patrons and stakeholders for the inconvenience caused.
“We sincerely apologise to patrons and stakeholders for the disappointment caused,” said MaWhoo Entertainment.
Following the incident, MaWhoo has also stated that she will not be performing for the remainder of January.
Management mulling legal action
She announced that she will be taking a break from her January performances to recuperate and rejuvenate after the stressful holiday season and the traumatic event.
Furthermore, the management said that they have obtained details of the alleged perpetrators and intend to pursue legal action.
“We have ascertained the perpetrators’ details, and we will be seeking further legal recourse,” the statement reads.
The incident has reignited conversations around the safety of artists on the road, especially during the busy festive season, as well as concerns about racially motivated attacks in the country.
At the time of publication, neither law enforcement nor the organisers had confirmed whether a formal criminal case had been opened or provided additional information about the alleged attack.
