Reggie Nkabinde slams Juju’s claims about his alleged dodgy political dealings and “special” relationship with Nomvula Mokonyane.
|||Mabala Noise called a media briefing to clarify the incriminating allegations made against them by EFF leader (CIC) Julius Malema.
One of the record label’s bosses, Reggie Nkabinde - who is the ANCYL’s Treasurer General - was accused of using his “special” relationship with Minister of Water and Sanitation Nomvula Mokonyane to obtain financing for his music company.
Nkabinde said Malema's allegations were fuelled by “jealousy” and were a manifestation of political “beef” that Nkabinde was not “aware of”.
The first “myth” addressed was that of Mabala Noise paying artists R5 million, to join the stable.
“It is not correct and I must indicate that it is totally a lie,” said Nkabinde.
He added that it suggests that their artists are “cheap” and that they can sell their souls for R5 million.
The company shook up the industry last month in a groundbreaking move for South Africa, with several new acts being signed at once. They are DJ Finzo, Letoya Makhene, Jay Spitter, Gigi Lamayne, Kay Sibiya, Mbali Nkosi, Zakwe, Major League DJs, Khanyi Mbau, PRO, Zola and Nasty C.
Nkabinde said that major international record labels have done multiple signings before, and he fails to understand why there is such a fuss around an African company doing the same.
He went on to insinuate that it is a “crazy” idea to think that all Mabala artists (22 artists in total) each received R5 million.
To drive home his point he used rapper rapper Riky Rick as an example.
“It is public knowledge that Riky Rick charges (+/-) R65 000 per performance. Just imagine how much that amounts to when he has two or three shows every weekend of the month. That on its own suggests that he can live a comfortable life, on his own. So why would he sell his soul for R5 million? he asked.
He also spoke of rapper “gold” Nasty C, who abandoned an international deal due to his “dislike of contracts”, but signed with Mabala. He explained that it was not money that swayed the rapper, but rather the African brand and the “business deal” nature of the contract.
“Mabala Noise is not doing business with any government,” Nkabinde said, neither does it intend on doing so.
Except for the normal transactions of the government booking and paying artists for their services, of cousre.
Nkabinde said that the major difference between him and Malema is that he (Nkabinde) never lied about being a business man. “Your companies can help each other to grow; you can fund one business with another business but not through the ANC. So where does Mabala Noise get its money? It gets it from me because I own Mabala Noise,” Nkabinde said, as he addressed the accusation of money laundering.
He also addressed the insinuations about the nature of his relationship with Nomvula Mokonyane saying, “Mama Nomvula and Serge Mokonyane are (like) my parents”.
He says he and his Mabala partners are consulting their legal team, saying they may push for the EFF leader to retract his statements, instead of taking the matter to court.
Nkabinde added that Malema has put a target on their backs by attracting criminal attention to Mabala artists.
He suggested that Julius may be oblivious to the fact that his comments called into question the South African “brand”.
Nkabinde says he is disappointed in Malema, who claims to be “driving an African agenda” by supporting the “African child”.
However, he is not surprised at the attack, as many South African record labels have had their names dragged through the mud. He names TS Records, Kalawa Jazmee and 999 (Triple nine) as some of the record labels that have had to deal with defamation.
“We will not stop doing what we are doing, and we have told our artist not to be distracted from what they had set out to do.”
Nkabinde said that he will “deal” with Malema in the “political space”, where he will match Malema “pound for pound”.
IOL