Organisers of a music festival that received R1-million from Buffalo City Metro are in a payment dispute with artists and service providers.
The Countdown event, held over December 31 and January 1, featured national artists such as Zonke, Nathi, Revolution, Vusi Nova and Kwesta.
It was hosted by LGVN Construction and Suppliers.
BCM spokesman Sibusiso Cindi confirmed to the Daily Dispatch that the company received its full payment from the metro.
“At present, BCM does not owe Countdown any money. In the contract we signed with Countdown, we have a clause that says if Countdown sources other service providers, they must pay them within 30 days. If this has not been done by Countdown, the service providers must then take legal recourse,” Cindi said.
In a proposal to BCM, LGVN Construction and Suppliers said had said local artists “would be given an opportunity to showcase their talent and an opportunity for talent scouting” during the event.
Mkhululi Costa Vena, who was contracted to do hospitality but ended up taking the role and duties of project manager, said event organiser Lindelwa Nkente had failed to pay him for his services.
“I was the one who was talking with the artists and now they have been calling me because they haven’t received their full payments. There are some who haven’t received anything.”
Vena said his management fee was R6 3507 but he had only received R5000.
Nkente, however, denied she had not paid the artists their full amounts.
During an initial phone call with the Dispatch yesterday, she said: “Costa has been trying to sabotage me since the day of the event. He decided to quit on that day and now I have been receiving calls from people claiming that I owe them,” she said, adding that “all artists” who billed the company had received their full payments.
She later sent an e-mail saying that about 32 artists had contacted her claiming she owed them money which she denied.
Simphiwe Mashexa, who was to handle the marketing for the event, said he quit on December 24 after the organisers failed to pay him his deposit of R3 500.
“They said we would receive our payments on December 7 but they kept on moving the dates. My brother and I decided to quit on December 24 because I knew there was no way they could pay us after the event,” Mashexa said.
One of the local artists, Yoba UNLTD said he charged the organisers R5000 for the event but only received R2000.
“The agreement was that I would get the balance a day after the event but I still haven’t received it. They keep saying they will pay me but nothing,” he said.
DJ Chris Lycidus was asked to bring down his fee to R4000 and despite doing so has only received R1000.
“I am done with these people now,” he said.
Johannesburg-based actor and businessman Oyama Dyosiba, who had worked on the Countdown event for two years, said they still owed him money from 2015.
Dyosiba said he was disappointed by the way he had been treated after putting all his energy into the project.
“I haven’t received my money to this day but I don’t care about that anymore,” Dyosiba said.
Cindi said unpaid service providers could lodge a complaint with BCM.
“BCM will hear the dispute and if there is merit to their claim, BCM will refer the matter to our legal department.” — poliswap@dispatch.co.za
Countdown Music Festival organisers, artists entangled in pay dispute
The Countdown event, held over December 31 and January 1, featured national artists such as Zonke, Nathi, Revolution, Vusi Nova and Kwesta.
It was hosted by LGVN Construction and Suppliers.
BCM spokesman Sibusiso Cindi confirmed to the Daily Dispatch that the company received its full payment from the metro.
“At present, BCM does not owe Countdown any money. In the contract we signed with Countdown, we have a clause that says if Countdown sources other service providers, they must pay them within 30 days. If this has not been done by Countdown, the service providers must then take legal recourse,” Cindi said.
In a proposal to BCM, LGVN Construction and Suppliers said had said local artists “would be given an opportunity to showcase their talent and an opportunity for talent scouting” during the event.
Mkhululi Costa Vena, who was contracted to do hospitality but ended up taking the role and duties of project manager, said event organiser Lindelwa Nkente had failed to pay him for his services.
“I was the one who was talking with the artists and now they have been calling me because they haven’t received their full payments. There are some who haven’t received anything.”
Vena said his management fee was R6 3507 but he had only received R5000.
Nkente, however, denied she had not paid the artists their full amounts.
During an initial phone call with the Dispatch yesterday, she said: “Costa has been trying to sabotage me since the day of the event. He decided to quit on that day and now I have been receiving calls from people claiming that I owe them,” she said, adding that “all artists” who billed the company had received their full payments.
She later sent an e-mail saying that about 32 artists had contacted her claiming she owed them money which she denied.
Simphiwe Mashexa, who was to handle the marketing for the event, said he quit on December 24 after the organisers failed to pay him his deposit of R3 500.
“They said we would receive our payments on December 7 but they kept on moving the dates. My brother and I decided to quit on December 24 because I knew there was no way they could pay us after the event,” Mashexa said.
One of the local artists, Yoba UNLTD said he charged the organisers R5000 for the event but only received R2000.
“The agreement was that I would get the balance a day after the event but I still haven’t received it. They keep saying they will pay me but nothing,” he said.
DJ Chris Lycidus was asked to bring down his fee to R4000 and despite doing so has only received R1000.
“I am done with these people now,” he said.
Johannesburg-based actor and businessman Oyama Dyosiba, who had worked on the Countdown event for two years, said they still owed him money from 2015.
Dyosiba said he was disappointed by the way he had been treated after putting all his energy into the project.
“I haven’t received my money to this day but I don’t care about that anymore,” Dyosiba said.
Cindi said unpaid service providers could lodge a complaint with BCM.
“BCM will hear the dispute and if there is merit to their claim, BCM will refer the matter to our legal department.” — poliswap@dispatch.co.za
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