The United Civil Society in Action (UCSA) has expressed its concerns about divisions and spats among Southern African Music Rights Organisation (Samro) executives, members, and the board.
Music executive and Samro member of 15 years, Vusi Leeuw, accused kwaito group Trompies legend and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) member of parliament Eugene Mthethwa of being among the contributors to the artist exploitation and alleged corruption in the organisation.
Mthethwa, the portfolio committee of Sport, Arts, and Culture member, has been at the forefront of fighting for artists’ rights and recognition for years.
EFF’s Mthethwa labelled a hypocrite
He has, however, come under fire after fellow music executive Leeuw recently accused him of being a hypocrite and a major key player in “exploitation and theft, contrary to their professed mission and objectives”.
Leeuw first vented on social media in what seems to be an exposé of the alleged dubious dealings by Mthethwa.
“As we fight against corruption at Samro, it is important that we fight and expose all acts of corruption,” Leeuw stated.
“This is one of the acts of corruption that can’t be swept under the carpet or turned a blind eye to. It must be investigated, and the law must take its course.”
Speaking to Sunday World with the utmost disappointment, Leeuw said he was willing to stand in front of the court of law to prove Mthethwa’s guilt.
Irregularly obtained bursary for daughter
“Did he not receive bursary funding for his daughter and lie and say it was his niece? And this was proven. Yet he still sits in parliament pretending to be fighting for rights.”
Mthethwa has not come forward to defend himself despite Sunday World making contact.
In an email dialogue available to Sunday World between Leeuw and Samro secretary Marianne Fourie and former Samro chairman Nicholas Maweni, it was confirmed that Mthethwa received bursary funding for his daughter, claiming it was his niece.
Leeuw is questioning whether that was not some type of nepotism. Maweni responded and acknowledged the grievance.
“The matter involving Mr Mthethwa is not new. It dates back to 2014. And it has been addressed by successive boards and management over nearly a decade,” he said.
Admitted to lying in bursary application
“In 2014, a bursary request was made by Mr Mthethwa to support the education of a child he then referred to as his niece. The board, guided by a then-unformed intention to establish a bursary programme, treated this as a pilot case. It later emerged that the beneficiary was, in fact, his daughter. Mr Mthethwa admitted to misleading the organisation, citing desperation.”
A formal internal process ensued, with the following sanctions, “Downgrade of Mr Mthethwa’s membership to ordinary member status for five years or until full repayment. A default judgment was obtained in February 2018. Royalties due to him were offset against the bursary amount, not written off. A full settlement was concluded in June 2023. The terms of this agreement are confidential and will not be disclosed.”
Other members implicated in graft
Amid it all, the organisation’s COO Mpho Mofikoe, remains suspended.
In 2022, Mofikoe commissioned an investigation into allegations of irregular royalty claims amounting to R62-million.
The investigation revealed four of its board members and 56 other publishers or composers and authors had been implicated in the matter.
Artists registered with Samro have on several occasions publicly complained about unpaid royalties and a lack of transparency.
Artists remain unpaid royalties
The likes of Poet Mzwakhe Mbuli demanded the dissolution of the Samro for alleged misuse of funds. Artists stormed into the briefing, demanding to be paid their royalties. Among the artists were veterans Dalom Kids, Mercy Pakela, Sithembile Zungu, and William Mthethwa.
Samro attributed unpaid royalties to a failed internal system and outdated banking details.
Composer and veteran producer Gabi le Roux resigned from the board on 1 October 2025. The move was due to conflicts in the organisation.
This happened in the same week long-time chairperson Nicholas Maweni announced his resignation. ‘
The UCSA, in a statement, noted its concerns on the divisions among Samro members. It also noted “spats between our collective and some of Samro’s executives and board”.
UCSA head also fingered in graft
The UCSA is headed by Tebogo Sithathu. He was listed as being under investigation by the SIU over a series of multimillion rand grants.
“UCSA calls on all involved in this revolution to use the rare opportunity of engaging with Samro’s facilitator and mediator, the widely respected Mr Terry Tselane. In the same vein, we appeal to Mr Tselane to remain objective and impartial at all times.”
They appealed to the current Samro leadership to “seriously review the suspension of our COO and lift the suspension”.
