Former manager of the late kwaito legend Mandoza has denied that he embezzled money meant to make the muso’s movie.
Speaking to Sunday World on Friday, Vaughn Eaton, who is the movie’s executive producer, said he wanted to clarify that actors and crew of the singer’s film have experienced salary payment delays due to a hold on funding, not because he misused money.
This comes after reports that actors and crew are fuming after Eaton did not pay them a cent since filming of the movie started. The movie is based on the life of the larger-than-life muso who passed away in 2016 following a battle with cancer.
Eaton said payments were delayed at first, but some salaries were paid in portions since May, as they wait for a funder to pay money for the rest of the salaries.
“I have seen newspaper articles and online stuff. I saw someone suggesting that I have stolen and embezzled money and stuff like that. I don’t know where people get their stories from. With regards to the money, we have had a delay in regard to payment and paying everyone, which I think is a normal thing in business. The fact that it is a Mandoza story, people make such a big fuss about it. Everybody will be paid, there is still some outstanding payments but we have paid actors,” he said.
In May, Sunday World reported that Eaton informed cast and crew through a letter that salary payments were delayed. Eaton said following this, some payments were made.
“People have been paid portions of their payments. We have paid out in excess of R6-million. So, I don’t know where these stories originate from. A lot of people have been paid their money. It is just outstanding payments from here and there, but it is highly probable,” he said.
Eaton said there is an outstanding payment to be made to the production by one of their funders, whom he cannot divulge.
Sunday World understands that some crew members arrived at the movie set at Sasani Studios in Johannesburg and helped themselves to production equipment due to outstanding salaries.
“These people are just basically gangsters, because there is a court system if you feel that you have been done wrong. You deal with it correctly, you don’t take people’s equipment because that is gangster and you should be put in prison,” he said.
Eaton said he was not at the scene of the alleged equipment theft, but said the incident did not affect filming because they finished shooting in April and are not currently in post-production.
He said the money is set for release later this year or early next year. The movie features popular actors Lorraine Moropa and award-winning actor Wiseman Mncube, who are cast as leads.
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