East London – What was meant to be a star-studded birthday celebration for Eastern Cape businessman Mabjessie Tyekana has devolved into a bitter public feud with media personality Somizi Mhlongo, after Somizi failed to appear at the event despite having been booked and paid.
Tyekana had planned an extravagant two-day birthday party at Absa Stadium in East London on March 1st and 2nd, inviting a line-up of popular artists including Big Zulu, Rethabile Khumalo, DJ Tira, Khuzani, Ntencane, and Somizi Mhlongo, who was slated to act as an MC and performer.
According to Tyekana, after agreeing on the gig, his team booked flights and accommodations for Somizi. However, upon landing in East London, Somizi allegedly snubbed the event. "Instead of coming to my show, Somizi chose to go to another club. He even told his fans on his online platforms that they must come and support him there," an incensed Tyekana stated in a Facebook Live post.
Tyekana expressed his disappointment and claimed that Somizi was taking advantage of people from the Eastern Cape. He further threatened Somizi, demanding the return of his money. "Me and Somizi should not meet. Even at a supermarket because I want my money. I'm not giving up on my money. I still want my money," he declared.
He also lamented the loss of respect he once held for the media personality. "I used to respect Somizi. I used to respect him. But now I don't like him for what he did. Uyadelela, Uyadelela uSomizi (you are disrespectful)," Tyekana said, adding that local artist Moshe Ndiki, who did participate in the event, "did well".
Somizi, however, has fired back at Tyekana's accusations, admitting that he was paid for the gig and flights but claiming that the event was a complete failure marked by disorganisation and unprofessionalism.
"First, I had to wait for them to pick me up from the airport. After 20 minutes, I eventually took an Uber to the hotel with my managers. When we checked in, we realised that our accommodation was not paid for; we were handed speed points to pay for the hotel," Somizi explained.
He further claimed that after waiting at the hotel, they were informed that he was scheduled to perform at 10 pm, despite having been told the gig would conclude at 6 pm. Upon arriving at the venue, Somizi said he was unimpressed with the standards.
"That stage looked like a table, and even the crowd was not impressed with the event," Somizi stated. He also alleged that all the artists who attended Tyekana's event were dissatisfied. "It was the most disorganised event I've been to. I went on stage and introduced one artist and left. That event was a flop," he concluded.
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