'Everyone wants to use his name for their pockets': Babes Wodumo calls out DJ Tira

Babes Wodumo has lambasted DJ Tira and the arts and culture department for organising a tribute concert in honour of her late husband Mampintsha, who died on December 24 2022 after a stroke.

The gqom star took to her timeline on Thursday asking DJ Tira to step up as a friend and not let people do things in honour of Mampintsha without her being involved. 

“Nothing breaks my heart and soul [more] than this kwi industry. A tribute to Mampintsha but no-one spoke to me about it, everyone just wants to use his name for their pockets. I have been saying I want to do [a] tribute event for baba ka Sponge, suddenly everyone wants to do it without consulting me and this has to stop!”

Babes said this was not the first time she experienced this, revealing that on the day of Mampintsha's funeral there was an event hosted in his honour but she and her son never received a cent from it.

“I’m tired of calling people asking them to stop what they are doing. For those who would say: 'But it’s just an event', OK, imali iya kubani? Arts, culture how did you approve this without our approval, did you do ground work and check? I don’t want to lie, someday I wish I could just wake him up and show him, look at what’s happening in your name. I’m pleading with everyone. I’ll do tribute because he passed on just when he handed in his one-man show proposal, so I know what he wanted, leave him alone. 

“Ukuthetha kanje ngivuswe izilonda breaks me so much anazi DJ Tira Ngicela ukhuze iteam yakho because we can’t be having the same conversation over and over again. I love you as my brother but something I wish you’d stand up as Mampintsha’s old friend and say 'No!' awenzeli mina or wena, but wenzela uSponge because nami I’ll do the same for your kids.”