Boycotting Mampintsha 'will hurt Babes Wodumo

As the calls to mute Mampintsha grow louder, an expert warns that Babes Wodumo will suffer the most in the long run.

Mampintsha, through his label West Ink, has run Babes's recording career with his fingers in all the pies of music creation, thereby positioning himself to benefit from her success.

Muting Mampintsha or boycotting his work will prove to be a double-edged sword.

Vusi Leeuw, former record label owner turned music business consultant, warns: "It's a tricky situation. Babes's music has Mampintsha written almost all over it. If you close Mampintsha, you close Babes as well since he is the composer, owns publishing rights, owns the master recording and he features as a singer.

"Whenever Babes performs there are different rights and monies collected. Samro [Southern African Music Rights Organisation] pays the composer and performer fees; in other words you are still feeding the monster. Trying to hurt him means Babes will also suffer.

"Babes will have to stop performing altogether. It's a difficult position to be in with its own legalities. The only way to ensure that Babes's wellbeing is taken care of is to ascertain that he has been paying her all that's due to her.

"You can boycott Big Nuz, but if there are other musicians in his stable and outside that he has produced; playing their music means his company will continue to benefit.

"What you need is a total shutdown and for Babes to start new music and a new life that will not benefit the other person at all. Essentially she will have to cut the umbilical cord, and shut down the past."