Singer Makhadzi’s travel documents have been returned to her after a Botswana court granted her permission to leave the country following a dispute with promoter Gilbert Seagile.
The South African performer had been unable to return home after Seagile approached the court over a proposed One Woman Show in Botswana.
South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation confirmed that Makhadzi had been given permission to leave Botswana and return to South Africa.
Dirco spokesperson Clayson Monyela said the contractual dispute had been resolved after the parties reached an agreement.
“The matter was in court today. Makhadzi has been given permission to leave Botswana and return home to [South Africa]. The contractual dispute has been resolved with both parties reaching an agreement,” Monyela said in a post on X.
The settlement brought an end to the immediate dispute that had left Makhadzi stranded in Botswana and unable to travel.
The full terms of the agreement have not been made public.
Makhadzi said she felt kidnapped
The dispute became public after Makhadzi posted a video on social media on Tuesday saying her passport had been taken from her.
In the video, she said she felt “kidnapped” and described the situation as distressing.
Makhadzi said men had approached her after she performed in Botswana and demanded her travel documents. She questioned their authority and said she wanted the matter dealt with at a police station.
According to her account, the men showed her documents linked to conversations she had not fully reviewed. She said the agreement connected to the proposed show had not been signed and that the event would therefore not proceed.
“I feel like I am kidnapped, I am harassed, and it is just too much,” she said in an earlier video, according to reports on the dispute.
Her comments prompted concern among fans and led to calls for assistance from South African authorities.
Makhadzi also approached the Botswana court on an urgent basis for relief after her travel documents were held in connection with the legal proceedings.
The singer’s team said she was safe and that it was working through the court process and diplomatic channels.
Dirco said it was attending to the matter and later confirmed that she had been allowed to leave Botswana.
Promoter’s version of the dispute
Seagile told News24 that Makhadzi’s documents had been taken under a court order after he filed an urgent application alleging a breach of agreement.
The promoter said he had been committed to organising Makhadzi’s One Woman Show in Botswana, which had been scheduled for 12 September.
He said the dispute began after Makhadzi posted a flyer for a different show scheduled for the same day.
Seagile said he tried to engage with her about postponing the proposed show while keeping the arrangement on hold, but she was not responding.
“I was trying to engage her so that we could agree that we are postponing while keeping it on hold, then she wasn’t responding,” he said.
The promoter alleged that he had invested in preparations for the event and suffered financial and reputational damage after the show did not go ahead.
Reports linked the urgent application to a claim of about 500,000 Botswana pula over an alleged breach of agreement.
Seagile said he regarded the discussions between the parties as confirming the proposed show, even though the agreement had not been formally signed.
Makhadzi’s legal team disputed that a binding agreement had been concluded.
The singer’s team said she had never been booked to perform at the proposed event and had received no payment from Gilbert Promotions for it.
Makhadzi’s team denies booking
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Makhadzi’s team sought to clarify the circumstances for her Botswana fans.
It said the singer had not been booked for Seagile’s proposed show and had not been paid for the event.
“Makhadzi wishes to clarify to her fans in Botswana that she was never booked to perform at the proposed show organised by Gilbert Promotions and received no payment for it,” the statement said.
The statement followed Seagile’s urgent court application over what he described as a contractual dispute.
Makhadzi’s team said the agreement received from the promoter had not been signed. The singer had reservations about performing in Botswana after an earlier negative experience in the country, including criticism from the media while working with the promoter.
She said she asked Seagile what steps would be taken to prevent similar problems from happening again, but that no solution was offered.
The team’s position was that the lack of a signed agreement meant that no booking had been finalised.
The promoter’s position was that the discussions and preparations created an obligation to proceed with the event or compensate him for the losses he said he suffered.
Those competing positions led to the urgent court proceedings.
Passport held under court order
Seagile said Makhadzi’s passport had been taken under a court order obtained after he brought the urgent application.
The order prevented her from leaving Botswana while the dispute was before the court.
The singer’s legal representatives challenged the order and sought permission for her to return to South Africa.
The case placed Makhadzi in Botswana while her lawyers addressed the contractual allegations and the status of her travel documents.
The matter also involved the South African High Commission in Gaborone. Dirco said Makhadzi and her team were safe and that officials were attending to the situation.
After the parties reached an agreement in court, Monyela confirmed that Makhadzi could leave Botswana.
The return of her travel documents ended the immediate restrictions on her movement.
The court settlement resolved the contractual dispute, but the agreement’s financial and legal terms have not been disclosed publicly.
Earlier experience influenced decision
Makhadzi said she had reservations about accepting the proposed Botswana show because of an earlier experience in the country.
She said she had faced severe media criticism while working with Seagile and wanted to know what would be done differently before agreeing to another performance.
She said Seagile did not offer a solution that addressed her concerns.
The singer then received an agreement from the promoter, but said it had not been signed. On that basis, she said the show would not go ahead.
The dispute intensified after a flyer for another show scheduled for 12 September was circulated.
Seagile said the flyer suggested that Makhadzi intended to perform elsewhere on the same date and that he attempted to engage with her about the proposed Botswana event.
He said he wanted the event postponed while keeping the arrangement on hold, but claimed that Makhadzi stopped responding.
The promoter then approached the court for urgent relief.
Court dispute now resolved
The court’s agreement means Makhadzi is free to return to South Africa and the contractual dispute has been resolved between the parties.
Monyela said both sides had reached an agreement during the court proceedings.
Makhadzi’s team confirmed that her travel documents had been returned.
The singer’s ordeal had lasted several days and prompted public concern after she said she felt trapped and harassed.
The outcome brought relief to her fans and family, who had been waiting for confirmation that she could leave Botswana.
Makhadzi later said Botswana remained her home despite what had happened, according to reports from outside the court.
The promoter has not publicly released the full terms of the settlement.
The agreement also does not amount to a public finding that either side was correct on whether a binding contract existed. The dispute was resolved without the competing claims being tested to a final judgment.
Makhadzi expected to return home
Makhadzi can now return to South Africa after the Botswana court granted permission for her to leave.
Her travel documents were handed back following the agreement with Seagile.
The singer’s team has maintained that she was never booked for the proposed One Woman Show and received no payment. Seagile has maintained that he had arranged the event and suffered losses after Makhadzi did not perform.
Both sides agreed to resolve the dispute in court.
The incident has raised questions about the risks faced by performers when show agreements are not signed and when event preparations begin before contractual terms are finalised.
For Makhadzi, the immediate concern was returning home after her passport was held under a court order.
For Seagile, the dispute arose from his claim that an agreement existed and that he had incurred losses preparing for the show.
The Botswana court proceedings have now ended with an agreement that allows Makhadzi to leave the country.
The full details of the settlement remain confidential, but the singer’s travel documents have been returned and she is expected to return to South Africa.