Zenoyise Madikwa

Zenoyise Madikwa

Barely a year after the establishment of ProKelly, some of the artists signed to the recording company are threatening to pull out.

Junema, the group formerly known as Ashaan, told Sowetan they could no longer work with Prosper Mkwaiwa. The group has a three-year contract with ProKelly. They say the company has not honoured a contract they signed.

This came after Mkwaiwa refused to pay the two-member group R15000 they demanded for performing at Malahleni Jazz On the Dam gig on Sunday. The group pulled out of the line-up after negotiations with Mkwaiwa reached a deadlock.

An angry Junema member Ress Matthews told Sowetan that Mkwaiwa wanted to pay the group R1500.

"He told us we would get R1500 and talk about the balance later. We refused because he had said the same thing regarding the Delmas gig weeks before that. He has not paid until now. He is a greedy exploiter who only thinks about himself," said Matthews.

Mkwaiwa told Sowetan yesterday that Junema wanted publicity at his expense .

"I got these guys from the dumps and made them people. They must work for their money. They have not been doing well and they expect to earn like Michael Jackson when they can't attract fans. This is a publicity stunt at my expense."

He said he was surprised at the news of them leaving ProKelly. "They didn't talk to me about it. Let them go if they want to. They are useless anyway."