Swords are drawn between Vendaboy Poet and fellow artists

LIMPOPO MIRROR The swords are drawn between Vendaboy Poet and fellow artists

By Elmon Tshikhudo With only a few days before the Poetry and Literary Calabash event, the show is already mired in controversy and might not take place.

The show, which will be hosted by award-winning poet and musician Mr Lutendo Mugagadeli (better known as Vendaboy Poet), is scheduled to take place on 15 December at the Khoroni Hotel’s Moo Bar. The event is funded by the National Arts Council (NAC) and other sponsors. Big-name poets and musicians are said to be billed for the show.

Cracks and controversy started showing up not long after the NAC’s funding was approved. Local businessman Mr Muvenda Talukanyani Ndou claimed that he had worked on the concept with Vendaboy Poet. He said that problems had started when he had enquired about his payment for the work done.

“The guy started avoiding me and he ended blocking my number and also slapped me with a protection order,” Ndou said. He insisted that the idea of staging such a literary event was his. “We had applied [to the NAC] for R300 000, but only R100 000 was approved. I am not demanding something from nothing, but something that I worked for. I spent sleepless nights working on this concept and this is how he repays me,” he said. Ndou said he would not be intimidated by the protection order and would contest it.

As if that was not enough, some of the artists scheduled to perform at the event are now threatening to pull out of the show, accusing Vendaboy Poet of having short-changed and disrespected them. One of the aggrieved artists is legendary musician and poet Burning Saul Nephawe, who was paid R2 000 to be part of the show.

“This boy is playing and is not taking me seriously. I was made to believe that he does not have funds and he was just doing me a favour by paying me R2 000 as a big-name artist. What is R2000 to me? This does not even cover my petrol costs for my car,” he said.

Another well-known poet, Mr Ndivhuho Mabonyane, who is better known as Dzomolavenda, said he had also been approached, but he had refused the R1 000 offer. He wrote on his Facebook page:

“I refused to be part of the show after being asked to do a R1 000 invoice as I knew there was R100 000 funding from NAC. My concern is that he took my identity card and submitted it as one who is party to the project. I do not even know what to do next. If we do not think for each other, we will go nowhere as artists,” he wrote.

Asked for comment, Vendaboy Poet denied all the allegations saying they were meant to tarnish his name. He later referred all queries to his communications manager, Musa Masombuka. In a statement released on Sunday, Masombuka said that Muvenda Ndou had only contributed ideas to the event, but the concept had never been his. He said Vendaboy Poet and his team had already planned and the application for funding had been in progress when Ndou had become involved. “We would have loved and wished to thank Ndou for his contributions … through means of payment; however, he sent an invoice of R15 000 for other services we did not require. When we rejected his services, that is when he started his social media stunts and misconceptions,” the statement reads. In the statement, Masombuka also disputes the amount of the sponsorship as mentioned by Ndou. “The funding received from the National Arts Council is R70 000 and not R100 000 as Ndou claims on his social media pages. The R70 000 is for admin and artists booking ONLY. The remaining R30 000 from the NAC is for [an] outreach programme in 2023,” he said.

Masombuka also tried to explain why the performing artists do not receive the same compensation. “To clarify, there are THREE categories of artists in the line-up: the headliners, supporting acts (upcoming poets), and legendary poets. With [this] line-up it is evident that booking fees are bound to not be the same,” he said.

In his statement, he says that a protection order “has been granted by the Vuwani SAPS against him (Ndou) on 22 November 2022.” (It later transpired that the order was obtained in the Thohoyandou Magistrate’s Court.)

When Vendaboy Poet’s spokesperson was asked about certain statements made in the press release, he responded in a very aggressive tone. One of the questions posed was why the grant amount was stated as R70 000, whereas it seemed to be R100 000.

“You need to get your facts right. This includes the correct spelling of our artist. Secondly, who is your source? If you did confirm with the National Arts Council, you would have found out that the total amount received was R70 000. We would like to question the credibility of your sources. We will not disclose further than this, we suggest you improve your verification and research skills,” came the response.

The “source” used by Limpopo Mirror is the official documentation provided by the NAC. On the NAC’s website, details of all grants are listed. In the section “Multidiscipline”, it is stated that “Fifty-five (55) applications are recommended for approval, 24 individual projects and 31 organisation projects.”

This section states that R100 000 was granted to “Mugagadeli Lutendo Events” for a “Poetry & Literary Calabash.”

The spokesperson then contradicted himself by admitting that the grant will be paid in two instalments, namely R70 000 and R30 000. He sent through the clause that states that the second instalment will be paid after the necessary documentation has been provided, such as an income-and-expenditure report.

He was also asked to provide a rough breakdown of how the grant money will be utilised.

“Of the R70 000, part of the amount is meant to go to administration, organising and managing of the event, and the rest to book artists. We have a line-up of an estimated 40 artists and service providers, who will be paid for this event and we will also be using our own funds to pay them,” he said.

Businessman Mr Talukanyani Ndou, who claims Vendaboy took his concept and is refusing to pay him. Photo supplied. Vendaboy Poet, who is accused of underpaying artists after receiving funding from the government. Photo supplied.

By Elmon Tshikhudo Six police officers attached to the Tshamutumbu Police Station appeared in the Musina Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 28 November, on charges of corruption and defeating the ends of justice.

Six border police officials arrested for corruption

Fhulufhuwani Calderon Kwinda (55), Ndivhaleni Negota (45), Naledzani Jonathan Mabalana (55), Takalani Eric Nefolovhodwe (45), Midiaifani Tshikovhele (35) and Elisa Nenzhelele (38) were arrested on 25 November this year. While these members were deployed along the border line, they allegedly colluded with illegal cigarette-smuggling syndicates and created a safe passage for them to enter the country illegally.

According to Limpopo police spokesperson Brig Motlafela Mojapelo, these activities reportedly occurred for a prolonged period while the members enriched themselves at the expense of the State’s resources.

The arrests have brought a sigh of relief for communities along the border of the Limpopo River. Residents who spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing retaliation, said too much crime was taking place along the border area.

“We are not safe here. You report crime to the police, but they never respond. What they do is pass the message and your name on to the crime syndicates, who then victimise you. These police officials are useless, and we have been complaining about them for a long time, with no help forthcoming,” he said.

The local traditional leader, Vhamusanda Vho-Thiwelimulambo Rammbuda, concurred that crime is rife in the area. “There are many incidents of car thefts, dealings in illegal cigarettes and robberies in our villages, and the police seem to have been captured. As much as we applaud these arrests, we are worried that the Tshamutumbu police are understaffed and this will further deteriorate the [crime] situation,” he said.

The case was postponed to 2 December 2022 for the accused to be profiled and for a bail application. The accused were remanded in custody.

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By Victor Mukwevho The National Department of Justice and Constitutional Development reckons positive signs can be found that South Africans are changing their attitude towards the genderbased violence (GBV) phenomenon.

Speaking to Limpopo Mirror during a GBV campaign that was held at the Christian Worship Church at Maniini on Tuesday, 29 November, the department’s media liaison officer, Mr Max Mpuzana, said that they were focusing more on the attitude of members of the community. “People’s attitude influences the actions they take. Bad attitudes inflame harm in the community,” he said.

When asked what the government, especially the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, was doing to deal with habitual GBV offenders who were too often let out on bail by the courts and then went back to the community and continued committing crime, he said that bail would not be given by the police or prosecutors anymore.

He said that President Cyril Ramaphosa had led a GBV conference at the St George’s Hotel in 2018, where one of the demands was for government to strengthen legislation to fight matters of gender-based violence. Ramaphosa approved three GBV Amendment Acts, which have now become part of the law in the Republic of South Africa.

“As we speak, the police and prosecutors don’t have the authority to grant bail to suspects anymore. Suspects now have to appear before a court of law to apply for bail and the court alone has the authority to grant or deny it,” he said.

According to Mpuzana, the department is also out there to teach South Africans about the need to respect the human rights of other people. “Together we can defeat gender-based violence in this country, if everyone plays their part.”

Mpuzana added that the new laws criminalised “bystanderism” and children exposed to violence. Bystanderism is when a person or people do not intervene, even when they are aware of another person’s needs, for example, not reporting it to authorities when someone is being abused. The new laws also incriminate adults who fight in front of children. Anyone who exposes children to acts of domestic violence is liable for prosecution.

The media liaison officer of the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mr Max Mpuza. Photo: Victor Mukwevho.

Bail denied for trio accused of murder

Court Report The trio accused of murdering businessman Mr Andries Khomola appeared in the Waterval Magistrate’s Court for the fifth time on Friday, 25 November. The alleged gang leader, Max Maphapu (52), and his coaccused, Wisani Baloyi (25) and Pfarelo Mathavha (18), were denied bail again.

The late Mr Khomola, owner of the Mtonga (Vari) tavern, was shot and killed at his tavern on 9 September this year. He was busy attending to clients from behind the bar counter when he was slain. The three accused men allegedly entered the tavern, one of them carrying a pistol, and began shooting at Khomola without saying a word.

Before Maphapu was arrested, a mob formed at Mpheni village and his house and car were torched. The mob seemed to be after Sedzani Godfrey Munyai, another suspect in the Khomola case, who has not been arrested yet. He was out on bail on another charge of murder and was supposed to be back in court on 16 September. Munyai was later caught and beaten to death by an angry mob before the police could get to him.

The accused are facing charges of murder and robbery. All three abandoned their bail applications during their fourth court appearance on 29 September. They requested to address the magistrate, who denied this and ordered them to trust their legal representative.

Maphapu, however, said that he did not know of any allegations against them.

The case was postponed to 23 January 2023 for further investigation.

The three men accused of killing Mtonga (Vari) tavern owner Andries Khomola during their appearance in the Waterval Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, 29 September. From left to right are Wisani Baloyi, Max Maphapu and Pfarelo Mathavha.

MAKHADO LOCAL MUNICIPALITY

Tel: (015) 519 3000 Fax: (015) 516 1195 Private Bag X2596 Makhado 0920

PUBLIC NOTICE: NOTICE OF SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING: 8 DECEMBER 2022

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Notice is hereby given in terms of Section 19 of the Local Government: Municipal Systems Act, Act 32 of 2000 that the 171st Special Council meeting will be held as follows: TIME : 14:00 DATE : Thursday, 8 December 2022 VENUE : Council Chamber, Ground Floor, Civic Centre, Makhado All interested members of public are invited to attend the meeting. Enquiries must be directed to S G Maguga or M D Munyai at (015) 519 3000. Cllr MD Mboyi Civic Centre 83 Krogh Street, Speaker of Makhado Local Municipality LOUIS TRICHARDT File No.: 4/2/2 MR K M NEMANAME Notice No 150 of 2022

MUNICIPAL MANAGER

Makhado Mayor Samuel Munyai (left) hands over the land agreement to Vice Chancellor and Principal of Univen Dr Bernard Nthambeleni. Photo: Kaizer Nengovhela.

Makhado Municipality hands over land for Univen’s satellite campus

By Kaizer Nengovhela Makhado Municipality donated 33 hectares of land for the establishment of the new satellite campus of the University of Venda (Univen), which will be built in Louis Trichardt. The handover was done at the site in Louis Trichardt on 28 November.

The satellite campus will be built on land opposite the Makhado Show Grounds, next to Ridgeway College. The development allows for a residential area for lecturers as well as for student accommodation.

The mayor of the Makhado Municipality, Cllr Samuel Munyai, said that the campus would create jobs for the local community, empowering them through skills training and reskilling. The campus will also create exponential economic growth by increasing the number of consumers in the area, increasing tourism, and giving the municipality access to state-of-theart meeting facilities for both officials and the community. He said that the University of Venda would benefit from the extension of its footprint in the province, regional integration and local reach relevancy.

Munyai said that the establishment of the campus in the Makhado municipal area would change the face of the town and also contribute positively to the much-needed skills gap in the community. “The land we are handing over is in line with the Musina Makhado Special Economic Zone (MSEZ) initiative, which aims to develop a Smart City that will address integrated sustainable development,” he said.

The vice chancellor and principal of Univen, Dr Bernard Nthambeleni, said that the university had been rejuvenated. “It is such a great joy for me to be here today. We want to be partners of the economic zone. I am very excited to be part of this journey today as we are also celebrating 40 years of the existence of the university serving the community. Although we are located in a rural area, we are not a rural university,” said Nthambeleni.

Residents complain that Dopeni is becoming Vhembe’s “killing fields”

By Maanda Bele The community of Dopeni has been hit hard by three sudden deaths in three consecutive weeks, leaving the residents wondering what is happening in their village.

On the morning of Tuesday, 15 November, Thabelo Muladi’s body was found in the street by passers-by. She and her boyfriend, Luvhengo Muthuhavhonali, were allegedly fighting the night before and he had supposedly pushed her. She allegedly fell and hit her head on a rock, which caused her death.

Muthuhavhonali fled the scene, and nobody knew his whereabouts until his body was found in Phiphidi village, nearly 20 kilometres from Dopeni, on Saturday, 19 November – the same day Muladi was buried. The cause of his death is still not known. The police in Siloam confirmed that they had opened inquests for both cases while police investigations continue.

On Sunday, 27 November, the village experienced another painful shock when 21-year-old photographer Murendeni Ralinala was stabbed to death by two men on his way home from a local tavern in Dopeni. The police confirmed the incident.

“One suspect was arrested that same day. He appeared in the Dzanani Magistrate’s Court on Monday (28 November) and the case was postponed to the 7th of December. He remains in custody. A second suspect handed himself over to the Siloam police on Tuesday afternoon and will appear in court soon,” said Makhado police spokesperson Sergeant Tshifhiwa Radzilani.

Ralinala’s close friend, who was with him at the time of the incident, went on Facebook and wrote (translated from Venda): “My friend, I didn’t want us to go out, but I had to agree because I couldn’t let you go alone. I thought we would return together. That guy hurt my feelings. I tried my best, you saw. So, it was really your last day. My heart is broken.” In another post he wrote: “He tried calling my name and I tried to help.”

The secretary of Dopeni SANCO, Mr Phathutshedzo Richard Mukhaninga, said, “What is happening in our village is heart-breaking. Not a weekend goes by without us burying someone. Something needs to be done to restore peace in our lovely village. As community leaders, we want to sit with the police and other stakeholders and try to find a solution here. It is even more painful that young people are the ones who are dying.”