Mthandeni SK dragged for a no-show
Maskandi star Mthandeni Sibusiso Manqele, widely known as Mthandeni SK, is facing serious legal heat after allegedly skipping a scheduled performance at the Durban Music Fest despite being fully paid.
The artist now finds himself in a dispute with the events company Blue Screen Entertainment, which is demanding the return of part of his performance fee following his no-show.
According to a letter of demand obtained by TshisaLIVE, Mthandeni SK was contracted and paid R40,000 to perform at the Durban Music Festival held on May 3 at Moses Mabhida Stadium, a highly publicized event headlined by American rapper Rick Ross.
The letter, dated May 16 and signed by the company’s head of legal, Brian Steel, outlines that the artist received R20,000 as a deposit upon signing and the remaining R20,000 on May 2, just one day before the event.
However, instead of showing up for the festival, Mthandeni was reportedly seen performing at the Metro FM Music Awards in Mbombela.
“Despite receiving the full payment of R40,000, you failed to attend or perform at the festival, and you did not contact Blue Screen Entertainment or any of its representatives to communicate your unavailability,” the letter reads.
“Further, it has been brought to our attention and confirmed through public and social media footage that you were instead performing at the Metro FM Awards on the same date in another city.”
Blue Screen Entertainment expressed frustration over the alleged breach, claiming it suffered reputational harm and potential financial losses.
The company demanded the immediate repayment of the R20,000 final balance by May 23, warning that failure to do so would force them to pursue legal action without further notice.
When approached for comment, Mthandeni SK’s team did not deny his appearance at the Metro FM Awards.
In fact, they confirmed it, stating: “Yes, he performed at the Metros because their money was better. Mthandeni is a very busy man and sometimes he gets more than five gigs per day, and some gigs he can’t make it. However, we’ve reached out to the Blue Screen Entertainment guys and arranged when they’ll expect their refund.”
Blue Screen Entertainment responded with a statement on Sunday, reaffirming their position and outlining the series of events.
“Our company compensated Mthandeni SK with R40,000 in accordance with a signed contract for the Durban Music Festival scheduled on May 3. Unfortunately, instead of honouring this commitment, Mthandeni SK chose to perform at the Metro FM Awards on the same evening without notifying us of his absence,” it read.
The statement also highlighted further communication breakdowns.
“Upon confronting Mthandeni SK’s management about this breach of contract, his manager explained that they were unable to return the funds immediately, attributing the situation to a supposed scheduling conflict. It was stated that they ‘simply forgot’ to communicate with us, despite Mthandeni SK’s manager confirming his attendance with our team the day prior to the festival.”
While a partial refund of R20,000 was proposed and accepted in principle, Blue Screen Entertainment confirmed they have yet to receive the agreed-upon amount.
As the deadline has passed, legal action may now be imminent for the popular musician.
