Celebrities
DJ Bongz breaks silence amid salary and theft claims at his Durban nightclub
DJ Bongz has responded to growing controversy surrounding Viewz Urban Grill and Rooftop in Durban, just two months after announcing that he had acquired the popular venue formerly known as Views at 25.
The musician and businessman found himself at the centre of social media allegations ranging from unpaid staff salaries to theft and questions about whether the establishment is still operating.
The claims prompted Bongz to address the matter publicly, firmly denying wrongdoing.
In a video shared on his Instagram timeline on Tuesday, Bongz suggested that public scrutiny often follows success.
“When you are born with a star, you don’t get to rest. No matter what you do, if you have an anointing, people will trouble you in many ways,” he said.
“You will try to work with people, then they’ll select your name out of many others because it’s you. You might wake up today thinking you did right, then wake up the next morning with people saying you are doing something else because you have an anointing.”
Bongz, whose real name is Bongani Dlamini-Ngcobo, later shared an official statement from the business addressing the allegations. According to the statement, the venue has been dealing with internal challenges linked to misconduct by certain staff members in managerial roles.
“Over the past two months, management uncovered repeated incidents of stock and cash theft involving specific individuals. These activities severely affected the financial stability of the business,” the statement read.
“Criminal cases have been opened against the individuals, and the matter is receiving the attention from the relevant authorities.”
The statement acknowledged that staff salaries were delayed at certain points but rejected claims that employees had been abandoned.
It said the financial strain caused by the alleged theft forced the business into a difficult position.
“Due to the financial losses caused by the theft, the business was placed under extreme financial strain. During this period, the owners made personal financial contributions to ensure that staff continued to receive payments where possible.”
Addressing claims that a manager allegedly took a company phone as compensation for unpaid wages, the business dismissed the justification and said the incident forms part of the wider misconduct under investigation.
“Theft of company property is unlawful and cannot be justified under any circumstances and regardless of internal disputes,” the statement added, while confirming that Viewz Nightclub remains fully operational.
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