Prominent Limpopo arts personality Mphoza Mashabela is embroiled in a legal battle with multi-award-winning traditional gospel star Shibu Molomo over alleged defamation and is also engaged in a tiff over money with Mapungubwe Festival organiser Shane Motala.
Molomo is in the soup after Mashabela’s lawyers slapped her with a R500 000 letter of demand for alleged defamation.
In a separate matter, Mashabela is demanding payment from Motala for services he allegedly rendered during the Mapungubwe Festival last month.
On December 21 last year, Harry Thobejane, the lawyer for Mphoza Mashabela, chairperson of the Limpopo Arts Movement, sent a letter of demand to Molomo.
Thobejane stated in the letter that Molomo from Mookgophong in Limpopo, made defamatory remarks and tarnished Mashabela’s image on Facebook on December 10 last year.
“It is our client’s version is (sic) that you have published some defamatory remarks and tarnished his personal image and business image after you published your views on your platform via social media on the 10th December 2024 in which other members of the public
also made written attacks on him through your channel,” reads the letter.
Mashabela, through his lawyer, demanded Molomo make a public apology on her Facebook page within 10 days after the letter of demand was issued. Failure to do so would result in a lawsuit of R500 000.
In the Facebook post, which has since been deleted, Molomo posted: “Please tell that man who always claims to fight for artist tsa Limpopo gore I didn’t forget what he put me through ko Mapungubwe music festival. Make him aware gore no man is allowed to make me suffer. Mphoza what what!! He embarrassed me in front of thousands of people then I’m going to address him here.”
Thobejane said Molomo deleted her post after the letter of demand was served on her.
Thobejane told Sunday World: “The lady by the name of Shibu Molomo went on the Facebook platform and said the Limpopo Arts Movement chairperson Mphoza Mashabela had failed to exercise his duties where she accused my client of failing to protect the interests of the artists in the province.
“Shibu actually accused my client of creating problems [rather] than solutions within the art space in the province, as she said that my client was only focusing on other artists and ignoring others.”
Sunday World also understands that Mashabela is gatvol with Shane Motala, the Mapungubwe Music Festival event organiser. At the heart of their fight is R20 000 allegedly owed to Mashabela by Motala.
The event was held on December 14, 2024 at Polokwane Cricket Club in Limpopo. Mashabela was allegedly requested to organise Zonke Dikana as the main act.
Sunday World has seen messages between Mashabela and Zonke’s manager, Asanda Peter, enquiring about Zonke’s availability and booking fees. Initially, Mashabela offered R160 000, which Peter rejected and asked for R350 000.
“Unfortunately the fee is R350k, excluding transport. Looking forward to working with you when your budget allows,” Peter wrote to Mashabela in one of the messages.
Eventually, everything was sorted and Mashabela closed the deal.
But now that the event has happened, Motala is playing hide and seek with Mashabela.
“Motala needed Zonke as the main act but he didn’t know how to get hold of her. He didn’t have the contact details and didn’t even know where to start. So he approached me and asked for assistance. I didn’t hesitate to help because I treated him like a brother,” said Mashabela.
Mashabela claimed that even on the day of the event, he had to make sure that Zonke and her team were well taken care of.
“When Zonke and her team left the venue it was not easy because the main gate was blocked. I had to make sure that all those cars were removed. I actually assisted Zonke and her team out of the stadium.
“When she arrived I had to organise the tags for her. Motala was so unprofessional and I found myself doing more than what he asked for,” said Mashabela.
“I was no longer a middle man but I literally became his right-hand man,” he said.
He said he tried to talk to Motala but he keeps telling him stories and lately he is avoiding his calls.
“I’m tired of his stories, I just want my money for my work. I brought Zonke and now he must fulfil his part,” fumed Mashabela.
Peter confirmed Mashabela’s role in the deal. “I can confirm that Mashabela was the middleman in this deal,” she said.
Motala said there was no agreement between himself and Mashabela.
“I merely asked for Zonke’s contacts and that didn’t constitute a contract. At no stage did I mention that I’d give him R20 000 for providing contact details. My contract was with Zonke and not with Mashabela,” said Motala.
Molomo said: “I don’t want to comment on that matter at all.”
