Veteran gospel artist Peter Mabula has taken the organiser of the Mapungubwe Festival to court after an agreed settlement was allegedly only partially honoured, with the organiser paying half the amount before disappearing.
Mabula had a three-year contract with the festival that ended on December 13.
According to the letter of demand, Mabula alleges that the organiser paid only 50% of R30, 000, which was the agreed amount, and has failed to honour the balance. Repeated attempts to follow up after the partial payment allegedly proved unsuccessful, prompting legal action, he said.
LAM steps in to assist
The Limpopo Artists Movement (LAM) has confirmed it has stepped in to support Mabula. It has instructed its legal team to pursue the matter.
LAM Provincial Chairperson Mphoza Mashabela said the organisation was contacted directly by Mabula.
“Yes, I can confirm that we received a call from our member, gospel artist Peter Mabula, regarding the settlement agreement. The sad part is that the service provider failed again to keep his agreement to pay the full amount. We have instructed our legal team to sue the Mapungubwe Festival organiser,” Mashabela said.
However, the festival organiser, Shane Motale, has disputed claims that he has disappeared or failed to communicate. He said the matter is being handled through legal channels.
“We have issued all communication to him through his attorneys. And part of it was committed with a deposit,” Motale said.
Settlement within 10 days
“They then came back to me and said we need to close the balance within 10 days. We are now working towards closing the balance.”
Despite this assurance, Mabula has proceeded with legal action. He is seeking a court order compelling payment of the outstanding amount, as well as interest and legal costs.
The dispute adds to ongoing concerns within the creative sector around payment delays linked to the Mapungubwe Festival. Artists’ organisations say such disputes erode trust and place financial strain on creatives who rely on festival income.
The matter is expected to be ventilated in court should the outstanding balance not be settled within the agreed timeframe.
