Gabi Le Roux, who produced Mandoza's hit song Nkalakatha, has labelled some musicians and Arthur Mafokate's former record label manager Brian Mokoena as a Gupta-linked syndicate out to capture the Southern African Music Rights Organisation (Samro).

Le Roux, who is a Samro board member, fired the broadside at the musicians after accusing them of wanting to use the forensic report that implicated the organisation's bosses in malfeasance and poor governance, to topple the board.

In a message seen by Sunday World, Le Roux also branded the musicians as "rogues" in a WhatsApp group message, saying they were linked to expelled SABC COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng and a former cabinet member (name withheld).

He said they also wanted to use the report by auditing firm Sekela Xabiso to topple the Moshito Music Conference & Exhibition board and other industry structures.

"I am sorry to tell you that our music industry is now under siege from a small group of individuals [all with ties to Hlaudi and the former minister] who want to use the Dubai forensic report to topple the Samro board, Moshito board and all other structures, insert themselves, so capturing the South African music industry.

"Essentially, we now have the domination by multinationals on the one side and these rogues on the other side, and it is difficult to tell which grouping is more detrimental to our struggle to have a proper functioning and fair music industry for SA musicians," he said.

Motsoeneng said: "I don't know why he is putting me and the minister there, maybe he can explain to you better.

"If they are fighting for what I stand for, then I support them. It's not a few people who are fighting Samro about what I stand for when it comes to local content, they are many."

Mokoena said he opened a case of defamation and crimen injuria against Le Roux. Police confirmed the case.

"I was totally shattered and quite shocked to see someone that I considered to be my role model in the industry defaming me. The man must just come out and prove all these allegations that I consider defamatory because I have never met the Guptas, Hlaudi or the former minister he is talking about," he said.

Le Roux said the alleged cartel disrupted a board meeting and called for a fightback.