The gloves are off between South African Arts and Culture Youth Forum (SACCYF) and veteran actor and music promoter Tshepo Nzimande.
At the heart of their fight is alleged fraud and corruption in Moshito Music Conference and Exhibition.
Last week Nzimande blew the whistle and accused the Moshito directors of corruption.
Tshepo asked department to investigate
He wrote a letter to the Department of Sports Arts and Culture, complaining about corruption in the Moshito board. He complained that the directors of Moshito did not submit financial statements. Nzimande further complained that the service providers were appointed without following due processes. He urged the department to investigate.
Sunday World approached Moshito for clarity on Nzimande’s allegations. However, they failed to respond to our questions.
The department also failed to respond to our questions.
In a new development, the President of SACCYF, Romeo Ramuada, has jumped onto the bandwagon. He has defended the Moshito Music Conference and Exhibition.
Ramuada issued a statement accusing Nzimande of being self-centred and destroying Moshito.
SACCYF refutes Tshepo’s accusations
“SAACYF is deeply concerned to learn of plans by certain industry black elders. [They are] allegedly working with some old white individuals to destabilise, sabotage, and destroy the Moshito event. These individuals… are no longer actively involved in the music industry. They seem to be motivated by self-interest and a resistance to black leadership.
“Some industry veterans view the rise of Moshito as a direct threat to their established power and influence. They fear that by empowering a new generation of artists, they risk losing their grip on a domain they have long controlled. This fear manifests in various ways. This icludes the spread of misinformation, the withdrawal of support, and even attempts to undermine the credibility of Moshito itself.
“By attempting to sabotage this platform, these elders not only stifle the growth of emerging talent but also perpetuate a cycle of exclusion that has historically marginalised black artists. This is particularly concerning given the rich cultural heritage that South African music embodies. Silencing new voices undermines the very foundation of artistic expression and cultural evolution,” he said in the statement.
He then called upon the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture to reject Nzimande’s plea for investigation.
Nzimande is unmoved
But Nzimande was not shaken.
“I’ve noted SACCYF’s letter and I will not entertain it because it does not address any of the facts that I raised. Romeo is the last person to speak. He was part of Moshito and he knows what he did,” said Tsepo.
