TV agent's hijacking leaves dozens of top actors unpaid

Dozens of leading TV actors have gone for weeks without being paid their salaries after an owner of a leading talent management firm was allegedly injured in an apparent hijacking and hospitalised.

Brian Mauku, president of Eye Media Artists —  an artist management agency —  which manages some of the country's leading actors and actresses, is hospitalised at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital after an alleged hijacking incident on Easter Monday.

TimesLIVE has spoken to artists who are owed thousands in unpaid salaries as the company claims it is not able to access its bank accounts due to Mauku's hospitalisation.

A leading local TV actor, who spoke on condition of anonymity as he fears being victimised, said he was due to have been paid in excess of R10,000 about a month ago but has been sent from pillar to post by the company.

“I've now gone a month without being paid and their stories aren't really adding up. I'm sitting with payment backlogs on my rent and medical aid,” he said.

He said a senior employee at the firm, only known as Raymond Masuku, had told him that the company is unable to access funds in its account due to Mauku's absence.

“I am now forced to live through borrowing from people and this is something that has never ever happened to me,” he said.

Eye Media manages top local actors including Generations: The Legacy's Abednico Ntsako, Isibaya's Thwala and Bheki Khwane and KB Motsilanyane among many others, according to its website.

When contacted for his side of the story, Eye Media's Masuku who had been handling the artist's complaints, declined to comment and referred TimesLIVE to a Meaghan who also refused to comment, only saying: “Brian is fighting for his life in hospital right now.”

Meaghan said the company was trying by all means to resolve “the issues the artists have” but declined to respond to TimesLIVE's questions.

She then gave TimesLIVE Mauku's email address for “Brian to speak for himself”.

Mauku also declined to respond to the questions and referred the publication to a post on the company's Facebook page acknowledging “slight delays on our part in fulfilling our financial duties towards our clients”.

“It is our pleasure to confirm that as of noon today all financial obligations due towards our clients have been fully met,” the Facebook post stated.

It also thanks those who sent “their messages of support and well wishes sent to Brian Mauku these past few weeks”.

Another actor, who also refused to be named, confirmed he had not been paid what's due to him and has also been told the company is unable to access its bank account due to Mauku's incident.

A police insider confirmed that Mauku was in a general ward at Chris Hani Baragwanath in Soweto.

“Brian is in a general ward and we understand he's under schedule 5 medication currently,” the insider said.

A case of assault with intent to commit grievous bodily harm was registered by Mauku's relative on his behalf in relation to the incident which landed him in hospital on Easter Monday.

Gauteng police spokesperson Col Dimakatso Sello confirmed the case on Thursday.

“That is an assault GBH case and no suspects have been arrested ... case is still under investigation,” Sello said.

TimesLIVE

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