While his poetry and music provided the soundtrack to South Africans’ struggle against apartheid, Mzwakhe Mbuli says he has since cut ties with the ruling African National Congress (ANC), as he alleges that the party gave him the runaround over the payment of R500 000 that it owes him.
Mbuli was conspicuously absent from the ANC campaign for the recent South African general elections which saw the party lose its majority in parliament for the first time since the end of apartheid.
In a recent radio interview, Mbuli said that he had decided to cut ties with the party after it failed to honour a R500 000 debt.
Mbuli claimed that his dispute with the ANC dates back to 2009 when they approached him to mobilise artists to create a music album in support of athlete Caster Semenya, who had won the women’s 800m final at the IAAF Athletics World Championships in Berlin, Germany.
“I organised several artists like Rebecca Malope, Don Laka, Ntando, Solly Moholo, and Camagwini, among others to produce individual tracks, which were then compiled into an album titled The Human Spirit Triumphs,” he added.
Mbuli claimed that while he had housed the artistes and paid for their studio time, the party had given him a cold shoulder when it was time to recoup his money.
“For years, I used to go to Luthuli House to demand my payment and I would come back empty-handed,” he said.
Mbuli said over the last few years, he had cut ties completely with the party.
“I don’t attend anything ANC related, from the January 8 events to their rallies,” he said.
In response, ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri said: “This matter is yet to be established.” Telly Africa
Discover more from Nehanda Radio
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
