Bassist Fana Zulu is crying foul after he was not paid for his performance at the Moretele Tribute Concert last year.

Zulu, who led Fallen Heroes Big Band, told Sowetan yesterday that they were owed R137,000 by organisers of the festival - Drakensberg Promotions.

The event took place on August 31 in Pretoria and featured artists such as Caiphus Semenya, Simphiwe Dana, Zonke, Thandiswa Mazwai, Bhudaza, Vusi Nova, Thomas Chauke and Malaika. Zulu said the band was assigned to perform songs of late artists Hugh Masekela, Brenda Fassie and Busi Mhlongo, among others.

Zulu told this paper that Drakensberg Promotions told them that there was a delay in payment because one of the festival's sponsors had pulled out. Zulu said they have been trying to get their money from the promoters since September last year. "This is painful that we are still waiting for the money after four months. We have families to feed. Since I was the one who assembled the band, everyone expect me to account.

"I know that the artists who performed at the festival were paid. It is only us who did not get money. The sad thing is that Bra Sam is now not taking our calls."

Sam Mhangwani, the co-founder of Drakensberg Promotions, confirmed that the band has not been paid.

Mhangwani also confirmed that a sponsor who had promised to give them R2m pulled out a day before the festival.

"I am also feeling bad that we have not been able to pay them up to this far. It is just that artists need to be patient at times. The band was a project that we added and it was not part of the initial programme.

"The problem is that we have been trying to get money without success," Mhangwani said.

He added that he was planning to pay the artists as soon as he "got sorted".