Music producer and founder of gospel music power group Joyous Celebration, Dr Lindelani Mkhize, is calling for forensic investigation for KZN Music House. This after he found out that the KZN Music House company has been deregistered.
KZN Music House is located in Durban and was registered in 2008 as a private company. The directors were Lindelani Mkhize, Joyce Mqadi, the late Joseph Shabalala and the late Mbongeni Ngema.
It was later closed, but this year in May, it was reopened by Dr Ntuthuko Mahlaba. He is the former MEC of Sports Arts and Culture.
No annual returns submitted
The Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) records show the company never submitted its annual returns. This led to its deregistration.
“I am one of the founders of KZN Music House. And I was one of the directors. The purpose was to assist KZN artists so that they don’t leave KZN but do everything in their home province.
“We submitted the proposal to the KZN government, and it was approved. The department advised us to open a company so that monies can be paid directly to the institution. These monies were supposed to help KZN artists,” said Lindelani.
“Everything was fine until we were sidelined. The department signed another contract with one of the KZN Music House directors. Millions of rands were paid into his company.
“The department never bothered to call us. Instead, we were excluded. As a result, KZN Music House collapsed. But monies were still being paid towards it,” explained Lindelani.
He said he is still shocked and disappointed at the department’s shenanigans.
Mkhize claims they were sidelined
“We had big plans for that institution, but the department and this director collapsed it. I’m still not happy because what we presented to the department is not what is happening today. A forensic investigation needs to take place in that institution,” said Lindani.
But the spokesperson for the Department of Sports Arts and Culture, Ntando Mnyandu, said there were no directors.
He said Lindelani and others were service providers appointed to operate Music House. “That contract between KZN Music House NPC and the department expired in 2017. The deregistration of the KZN Music House has no legal bearing on its status.
“[KZN Music House] remains a state-owned facility under the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture. It does not receive funding from the department. And it is operated by Arts Development, a wing within the department,” said Ntando.