Two event planners have accused reality TV star and exotic dancer Zodwa Wabantu of being a con artist after the star was a no-show at their gigs and failed to refund their payments.
Deborah Dlamini and Khayalethu Mathebula have not met but they have one thing in common: they had both booked Zodwa for their events and the star ditched them at the last minute with no valid explanation.
A common theme is that they resorted to exposing the star because she has managed to ignore all their efforts and plight to get her to refund them.
Speaking to TshisaLIVE Deborah said the star owes her R10,000 she paid her as a deposit. Zodwa did not pitch at her event called Men's Cave that took place June 4 at The Farm Guest Lodge.
She said she got Zodwa's contacts from a close associate and spoke to the star directly and not through her manager.
“I spoke to her directly telling her this is what I want to do, I asked her how much she was charging me. She said the amount and then I told her 'I'm writing an email to you, please reply and confirm' and she said fine. That's the thing with Zodwa is that when you speak to her before the money she is fine, after the money there's no communication at all.”
Deborah said she has resorted to consulting with lawyers and is in the process of taking legal action against the star.
“I have a lawyer that I'm working with, so I have found out that Zodwa has been doing this for months now. I'm not the first person. I think Zodwa is taking advantage. If you are a well known person, then she attends the events. If you a somebody who is just starting with your events, and you are not a well known person, then she doesn't pitch.”
Deborah also claimed she has three other people that wanted her to help them because they wanted their money from Zodwa.
Wabantu says promoters and events planners need to come to terms with the fact that she is not the same person she was before she accepted her ancestral calling.
“We are in the process of paying it, I think she is in a hurry. We are also going through our books. We will check on the 20th (of June). She needs to speak to me, because look now she ran to you. She wants to be famous. So I'm gonna sit back until I put the money.”
Zodwa dismissed claims she was evading or ignoring Deborah, using TshisaLIVE as an example that she picked up our call.
To add to the list of people that are allegedly owed by Zodwa, Khayalethu, who booked the star last month to perform at Khayalethu Park in Mbombela, said he did not want to draw media attention to himself or expose the star, but he was owed a lot of money.
“We booked Zodwa on May 28, she confirmed everything but she didn't show up to the event. And we paid the deposit earlier and she sent pictures (for promo). We also paid her R10,000 for the deposit and then the outstanding balance which was R10,000 on May 25.
“We contacted her and she told us she still needed to talk to her manager because there was no progress. She promised to send the money last week Wednesday. Until today we still have not received it yet.”
Khayalethu claims Zodwa only came the next day around 4:30am and she recorded a video apologising to him and the agreement was she would pay him back .
Zodwa confirmed to TshisaLIVE there are other events planners she owes money to.
“I think I have four or five (other people she owes money to). My explanation is that ngiya thwasa so my ancestors when they deal with me, and they say they don't want anything bad to happen to me I listen.”
She said promoters won't get it if she explained the process to them however the money owed to them is an earthly matter she can fix vs angering her ancestors by forcing herself to attend when she was guided not to. She said her manager Terrence was dealing with the admin.
“I take the responsibility I'm in another realm and I feel like those who complain are complaining for small amounts of money. But I understand that it's their money and they need it.”
Zodwa said she's not ashamed of her accepting her fate and reality that there will be times were she pitches and times when she'll be a no-show because of her ancestral journey.
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