A legal storm is brewing around amapiano powerhouse Kabza de Small, who is facing a civil lawsuit and the prospect of criminal charges in Johannesburg after his landlord accused him of unpaid rent and fraud.
Attorneys for the landlord, Abel Dlamini, have advised him not only to pursue the matter in the Joburg High Court but also to open a criminal case and seek Kabza de Small’s arrest for alleged fraud. At the centre of the row is a set of disputed proof of payments and hundreds of thousands of rands in alleged rental arrears.
The dispute is detailed in a letter of demand dated December 2025 from law firm Barry Aaron & Associates to the musician, whose real name is Kabelo Motha. Daily Sun has seen the letter.
In it, attorney Barry Aaron accuses Kabza de Small of submitting two fraudulent proofs of payment to Dlamini, who is the artist’s landlord. The documents, both dated 2 October 2025, allegedly show electronic funds transfers of R50 000 and R110 000 into Dlamini’s account, purportedly for rent.
“We are additionally instructed that you forwarded two separate fraudulent proofs of alleged payments, both dated 2 October 2025, supposedly on account of rent, purporting to reflect payments by EFT into our client’s account, in the amounts of R50 000 and R110 000 respectively – copies attached. Our client has been advised to lodge a criminal complaint for the investigation of fraud charges against you,” he wrote.
Aaron warned Kabza de Small, widely regarded as the architect of the amapiano genre and one of South Africa’s most sought-after musicians, of the possible consequences if he did not comply with the demand.
The letter sets out a breakdown of what the landlord claims is owed. According to Aaron, Kabza de Small was behind on rent for several months by the time the letter was sent.
“You are in arrears in respect of September rental in the sum of R65 000. You failed to pay rental for October, November and December 2025 in the sum of R95 000 per month,” reads the letter.
Aaron added that January 2026 rent, also R95 000, was due and had to be paid by 1 January 2026.
“The premises required deep cleaning and laundry services, at a cost of R1 100 and R3 003 respectively. Our client demands that you pay the sum of R254 103 within 5 days and the sum of R95 000 by 1 January 2026, with payment to be made into our client’s bank account in terms of the lease agreement – not to the agent,” reads the letter.
The lawyers state clearly that there will be no leniency if the musician fails to respond.
“No extensions will be permitted, and our client will institute action in the High Court for payment of all amounts due, plus interest and legal costs if you fail to comply fully and timeously with this demand,” reads the letter.
Dlamini has since gone ahead and filed a lawsuit against Kabza de Small in the Joburg High Court. He confirmed that he has also been advised to pursue criminal charges over what he describes as a deliberate attempt to mislead him.
“What he did is fraud. It's a criminal offence. He is also saying that he paid the money into the account of the agent, he could not have done that because he has been paying the money into my account as stated in the lease agreement,” he said.
Daily Sun has seen the lease agreement, which specifies that all rent must be paid directly into Dlamini’s account, not to an intermediary.
However, a close associate of Kabza de Small, who asked not to be named for fear of victimisation, gave a very different version of events. He said the artist refuted allegations that he defaulted on rent and insisted the problems began with the estate agent managing Dlamini’s unit.
He said the musician stayed in Dlamini’s apartment for about eight months before moving into another one in the same building.
“Deposit was paid, and rent was paid on time through the agent. Everything went well until she didn’t pay the last 2 months. The unit Kabza is currently occupying was also managed by the same estate agent,” he said.
The associate claimed that the move to a different apartment was pushed by the agent because of the strict payment terms imposed by Dlamini.
He said Kabza de Small decided to leave Dlamini’s apartment because rent payments had to be made two days before the rental date every month, something they found unreasonable.
“Liso, the agent then suggested we move into a vacant apartment which has a better owner to deal with who won’t press for payment till the 7th day of the new month. Fine, the move gets facilitated, and all is well till we had to pay a clamping fee for cars that were still parked at Dlamini’s apartment,” he said.
According to the associate, when they investigated why the vehicles were clamped, they discovered it was due to non-payment of rent, not because the cars were parked in the wrong bay. This, he suggested, pointed back to the agent’s alleged failure to forward funds correctly, not to any deliberate wrongdoing by the musician.
On the other side, Dlamini maintains that the matter is straightforward: he says the proofs of payment are fake, the rent was not paid, and the lease clearly directs payment into his account only.
The case now straddles civil and potential criminal routes. On the civil side, Dlamini is seeking to recover more than R254 000, plus a further R95 000 and any additional amounts, interest and legal costs. On the criminal side, his lawyers have encouraged him to lay fraud charges, which could see Kabza de Small being investigated by police and possibly arrested if a case is opened and pursued.
For now, the hitmaker is staying silent in public. His legal adviser, Katlego Malatji, said the artist will not comment on the matter.
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