HARARE – Motormouth Zimdancehall singer Malloti Rose has refused to apologise for insulting Zimbabwean nurse aide workers in the UK and instead offered to withdraw from the upcoming Y2K SAMA Festival that she had been booked to perform in April.
In a statement directed at Y2K, Malloti said she was giving them her “official withdrawal application with immediate effect” and would not be refunding their US$1650 “security deposit”.
“The SAMA Festival had suggested that I must apologize to Nurse aide’s in The UK. I do not see any problem with what I said, you knew I had a pending case in South Africa that I defaulted court.
“The reason why you booked me is because you confirmed that my case wouldn’t affect my visa application.
“If I must ask forgiveness face to go on with the show, That means consider this as my official withdrawal application with immediate effect from Malloti as an independent artist who had her own contract as an individual artist.
“So that I can update my gig guide and announce that 4 April is now open for bookings. You had given me a security deposit of $1 650 and I will not be refunding it that’s if you decide that we can’t continue with show since I didn’t apologize,” she wrote.
Her husband, fellow Zimdancehall artist, Hulengende, also withdrew from the UK show in solidarity saying he had advised his wife not to apologise and to instead withdraw.
“When I asked her to be my girlfriend, I knew everything about her past,” Hulengende said. “I will gladly refund the deposit.”
The “Fadza Madzimai” hitmaker added that attending the UK event would mean going against everything he stands for. “Handidi,” he said.
Trouble erupted for Malloti after she used a rant at Ireland based socialite Ketina Masomera to claim that most Zimbabweans who attend music shows in the UK are not organised and were nurse aide workers with no money.
She also called nurse aide workers “Ma Zimbabweans echinherera” (Zimbabweans without money or who are poor).
The saga has infuriated activists like Ketina who are threatening to get Malloti deported on arrival from the UK over her past criminal links and her allegedly being a wanted fugitive in South Africa.
