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Bongani Ndlovu Showbiz Correspondent
POPULAR dance queen Sandra Ndebele-Sibindi has accused a little known promoter of using her name to promote the Bulawayo Music Awards, saying the whole thing was the work of con artistes.

A message that has been circulating on various social networks states that the awards ceremony will feature the crème de la crème of South African gospel music including the likes of Sifiso Ncwane, Sipho “Big Fish” Makhabane, Solly “Obrigado” Mahlangu and Benjamin Dube.

Kalawa’s Mafikizolo, Zahara, Oskido and Black-Motion wrap up the SA list with Takesure Zamar Ncube, Mkhululi Bhebhe, Sympathy Mabetha, Oliver Mtukudzi, Khuxman, Ndebele-Sibindi, Tear dream Boiz, Crème Voices, Vocal Ex and the organiser of the event Nyasha William Gwazemba being the local acts.

However, in an interview, Ndebele-Sibindi dismissed the awards as a fraud because no one from the organisation had called her to hammer out a contract for her to perform there.

“These are con artistes who’re busy taking money from up and coming musicians and promising them they’ll perform at their gig. I don’t have a contract with the person behind these awards,” said Ndebele-Sibindi.

Gwazemba acknowledged that they were planning to hold the awards ceremony and had invited artistes mentioned in the message to perform.

“The message was leaked from our side and we’re still investigating who did it. I don’t even know how my contacts got to be put there. We would like to apologise to all the artistes that have been cited in the message. We’re yet to approach them to personally say sorry,” he said.

After initially setting December as the awards date, Gwazemba said the awards would now be held in two months time on a date to be announced.

“The awards are definitely on. We shall hold them in March but all this was under wraps and now it has been exposed. We would like to apologise for all the anxiety that this has caused to artistes and the general public,” he said.

The venue, according to the message, would be the Bulawayo Large City Hall and guest speakers include Prophet Blessing Chiza, the mayor of Bulawayo councillor Martin Moyo, the Minister of Rural Development and Preservation of National Cultural Heritage, Abednico Ncube and officials from the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe.

Artists interested in performing at the concert and at the awards ceremony were urged to contact the numbers attached to the message.