The late Kwaito star Nomasonto “Mshoza” Maswanganyi’s children are surviving on their grandfather’s pension, as her music royalties remain unpaid.
This emerged during a march on Thursday, November 13, from Mary Fitzgerald Square to the Southern African Music Rights Organisation (Samro) offices in Johannesburg.
Call for series of reforms
The demonstration, led by Artists United, called for urgent reforms within Samro, including the suspension of the current Memorandum of Incorporation (MOI) pending member consultations, temporary governance of board operations under the Companies Act (Schedule 1), enforcement of ethical conduct and HR compliance at all management levels, immediate release of the Fundudzi Forensic Investigation Report, full disclosure of board decisions, particularly regarding property sales and the reinstatement of COO Mpho Mofikoe, whose suspension was described as “unfair and retaliatory”.
EFF MP and Artists United representative Eugene Mthethwa spoke passionately at the march. He highlighted the exploitation and financial struggles faced by artists despite their contributions to South Africa’s cultural heritage.
R82 earnings for hard work
“Today we are here to fight for our rights as artists, we are here to fight for our royalties. As I’m standing here, the late Mshoza has not received her royalties. And her father is here to fight for her. I just received R82 earnings for my songs. This is the problem we are facing,” Mthethwa said.
Mshoza’s father, Steve Mafuna, confirmed the claims. He said he has never received any royalties from Samro since his daughter’s passing.
“I joined the march to fight for my daughter. She had two children, aged 12 and 14, and we are taking care of them. It’s heart-breaking because their mother was a superstar. Yet her children are surviving on my pension, which is not enough. My wish is for Samro to release Mshoza’s royalties so we can provide for her kids,” he told Sunday World.
Mshoza was one of South Africa’s most influential female kwaito artists. She rose to fame in the early 2000s with her hit Kortes, breaking barriers in a male-dominated genre to become a household name. Born in Soweto, she began as a dancer before being discovered by kwaito legend M’du Masilela. He later helped launch her career. Known for her bold personality and fearless authenticity, Mshoza inspired a generation of young women to embrace confidence and independence.
Mshoza decried exploitation before her death
She was also outspoken about artist exploitation. And she often addressed the lack of royalties and fair treatment issues now echoed by the artists marching in her name. Mshoza passed away in November 2020 at the age of 37 after battling diabetes. Her death was widely mourned, with fans and fellow musicians hailing her as the “First Lady of Kwaito”.
During the march, Samro members, alongside Artists United and other civil society groups, handed over a memorandum of demands calling for comprehensive reforms within the organisation. In response, Samro CEO Annabelle Lebethe assured participants that their concerns had been noted. “We have noted your concerns and we will attend to them,” she said.
