Trouble in Gabs for idols SA Lungisa
Sharon Mathala | Tuesday May 3, 2016 15:50
The 25-year-old performed at upmarket club Cigar Lounge on Friday but before then, a promoter of another joint asked the Botswana Police to arrest him over contractual dispute.
On Thursday afternoon, event promoter, only known as Laputo, reported Lungisa to the Gaborone West Police station for allegedly owing him close to P12, 000. Laputa, had a show dubbed ‘VIP experience with Lungisa’ and was to be held at United Lounge Premium, The promoter tried to confront Lungisa at the Mass Media Complex when the Idols finalist appeared on BTV music show Flava Dome, but was prohibited by the bouncers.
According to Laputo, he had booked Lungisa - who got prominence on social media especially from the ladies, when he told SA Idols judges that he had hoped to win the competition so as to provide a better future for his daughter - to perform at his gig scheduled for April 22.
In an email correspondence dated April 17, 2014, the promoter tells the artist that: “We have exhausted every ounce of legal advice we have. We’ve asked for legal council (sic) once again, and we understand we can open a case against Lungisa, which could lead to detention once entering Botswana soil anytime or whatsoever date as foreign business and we’ve been advised to do so. And it has come to our attention that he is coming on the 29th April as well which with our lawyer will send all police reports as there is no evident alibi which can lead him not attending our event because people were talking bad about our venue.” The email continues, “the event is scheduled 22nd April and the matter has to be resolved or the case will continue and detention of the artist will proceed once entering Botswana. All borders shall be notified and the airport as well. We have verbal agreement of the date both with the management of Lungisa and him as well and even met in person with him. We have incurred costs of marketing with which the lawyer shall communicate as well tomorrow. We’ll send over the legal documents soon, which will state all this soon (sic)”.
Laputo confirmed this on Thursday, saying, “I am just from the Police station. He owes me. I booked him first but he chose another event over mine. All I want is my 12 thousand I spent on marketing the event. I had paid him P8, 500 for performance fee, he paid that back but I need my money I spent on marketing the event”. Laputo said that the police however could not arrest Lungisa on Thursday because the matter was not a criminal one. The Cigar Lounge event manager Siku ‘Dj Shimrock’ Siku also confirmed the incident, but distanced his business from the saga. “We were not aware that he was booked elsewhere. We booked him according to procedure. He performed on Friday and it was a well attended event,” he said.