DISAPPOINTED: Bhudaza Mapefane

Angry SA artists lash out at dubious local promoter

Dubious local music promoter Fatima Gabatshwane has come under fire from disgruntled South African celebrities she has misrepresented and allegedly cheated before.

South Africa’s Afro Jazz sensation Bhudaza Mapefane who claims to be owed about P11 000 from albums he left with Gabatshawane to sell some time back lashed out at her recently calling her a “cheat and a con artist.”

The veteran saxophonist spoke out after he realised that Gabatshwane had put him on a fake list of South African A- list celebrities whose names she used as a draw card for the Miss Global beauty pageant which she held at Gaborone Sun hotel this past Saturday.

“I have worked with her before when she promoted a show last year in August. I gave her copies of my album worth P11 000 for distribution and up to this day she has not paid me a single cent,” said Bhudaza.

Event flyer

The popular artist who has performed in the country many times before said that Gabatshwane played hide and seek with him until he reported her to the police where she was let off with a pledge to pay in May.

“She never did. That is why I demanded that she should deposit my money before I could come and perform at her show in Gaborone last Saturday. I want people to know that I will never turn down a show in Botswana if the promoter is genuine and Gabatshwane is just a con.” he said.

“Initially I had agreed to perform at a very discounted price because she said it was a charity show, but then I later found out that she did not even have a permit; what kind of a promoter does that?” The disappointed Bhudaza asked.

Other surprised celebrities who were also supposedly billed for Gabatshwane’s pageant included, Swazi artist Nomalungelo Dladla, Thami Mngqolo who plays Senzo in the popular South African soap opera Generations and his cast member and love of his life on the same soap Zolisa Xaluva (Jason) as well as Thabang Garogwe and Punah Gabasiane.

Gabatshwane however in her defence said people should not read malice in the way things turned out.

“There is a logical explanation to why we advertised artists that did not perform on Saturday. I had applied for a permit from the Department of Arts and Culture very late so I had to do away with the music performances but the pageant had to go on, and the winner is getting ready to represent the country in Jamaica,” she said.

Speaking in a telephone interview on her way to Johannesburg to allegedly meet with Nomalungelo’s manager to find out if she will be available for another show she is organizing, Gabatshwane said she stopped selling the P250 tickets as soon as she realized that she will not be able to obtain a permit on time.

DUBIOUS: Fatima Gabatshwane

“It would have been embarrassing to bring professional artists here when we did not have a permit because the Arts and Culture department was going to shut us down. People love to complain, but I do not owe anybody anything because I did not sell any tickets. We apologized and even sent out a press release,” she said.

Nomalungelo’s Manager Shadiie Phatudi Mphahlele however said that her artist could not make it to Gabatshwane’s show because no travel arrangements were made by the producer.
“It would have been really nice to perform in Botswana, but we have waited for the promoter to sort out travelling arrangements and nothing materialized and our failure to turn up should be blamed on her,” said Mphahlele.

Bhudaza