Mkhululi Ncube, Showbiz Reporter
IT’S over! Lovers of Rhumba artist, Clement Magwaza and Macrey Super Sounds must adjust to his performances without the much-loved Thobekile Nxumalo aka Naspampanana as she has left her former boss.
Naspampanana says she left the band four months ago over a number of issues which included her not being able to relocate to Magwaza’s rural home in Tshitshi, Mangwe district where the band is now based.
Just like many divorce proceedings, the divorce is not amicable as the dancer claims her boss is withholding her passport, demanding US$200, money he claims he paid for her to get the passport.
“I didn’t want to stay at his rural home because I’m taking care of my uncle’s house in Bulawayo so relocating ekhaya would have meant leaving the house unattended. The band moved from Bulawayo to Tshitshi but I couldn’t afford to do that,” said Naspampanana.
On the passport issue, she said: “I applied for the passport using my money but he had to top up for it to be processed as an emergency document. That’s the money he wants.”
The nimble-footed dancer says her former boss owes her money from some shows and finds it saddening that he is refusing with her passport over just US$200. She said she desperately needs her passport to travel in order to be able to support her children. Naspampanana said they are owed performance fees for about five shows and when they asked about the money, their boss told them that the people who hired the band had not paid.
Asked about her next move, she said: “For now, I’m still planning, but okwamakatari ngisamile. To all my fans, I love you, but for now, I have to make money outside of music. We never know what will happen in future.”
The dancer said she is now buying and selling fish in Binga to try and feed her family while making it clear that she did not leave the band to pursue marriage as she is not married.
Reached for comment, the Kokotsha Makokotsha hit producer said Naspampanana “always comes and goes” urging fans not to be surprised to see her on stage in the future.
“Naspampanana is a girl child and I don’t want to comment much about her departure. I know that she’ll come back because she always does this. There are some things I don’t want to say in public because as a girl child, she needs protection,” said Magwaza.
He confirmed that he was holding onto Naspampanana’s passport as well as other band members’ until they pay what they owe him. – @thekhust