Mandoza funeral donation dispute - Singer’s wife confronts manager over Hlaudi’s contribution

Picture credit: Mabuti Kali.
Picture credit: Mabuti Kali.

The late Mandoza's wife Mpho Tshabalala allegedly confronted his manager, Kevin Ntaopane, over a donation made by former SABC chief operations officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng towards the cost of the funeral.

It is alleged that Ntaopane did not declare the donation, believed to have been more than R20000.

Sunday World understands that Mpho and Mandoza's friend and Power FM sports presenter Thabiso Mosia went to Ntaopane's home in Noordgesig, Soweto, two weeks after the funeral in September last year and asked him why he did not declare the donation.

Motsoeneng confirmed that he made a contribution to the family through Ntaopane but said he did not want to get involved in the dispute.

"I can't disclose the figure. It's a family matter that should be dealt with by the family themselves," he said.

Ntaopane could not be reached for comment for the past two weeks.

A visit to his home, telephone calls and text messages to his phone and Facebook inbox were not responded to.

Mpho told Sunday World she knew nothing about Motsoeneng's donation and said Ntaopane had not told her anything about it.

"I have never received any money from Kevin coming from Hlaudi," she said.

She said the family had talks with Motsoeneng before her husband's death, in which he promised to speak with certain companies to assist with Mandoza's medical costs. "But it never happened because we lost him before they could make payments.

"All I am asking for at this moment is that we let Mduduzi rest in peace.

"Money comes and goes and if anything happened, I don't think the person still has the money, I doubt so," she said.

A close family friend confirmed that they visited Ntaopane's home in Noordgesig to ascertain facts about the donation.

"When we asked him about the money, he said he never received it," he said.

Mandoza was diagnosed with cancer in 2015 and died in September last year.