Dan Tshanda might never perform in Zimbabwe

SOUTH African splash music sensation Dan Tshanda might never perform in Zimbabwe, unless he pays back money he supposedly owes an entertainment promotion agency, after he failed to meet his obligation to perform in Zimbabwe in 2013.

Tshanda reportedly duped local entertainment promotion agency - Lussate Promotions - over scheduled shows in Hwange and Bulawayo in 2013 and has since never performed in Zimbabwe, as he was reported to be on the run from Lussate.

Owing to that Tshanda's future performances in Zimbabwe remain bleak, as it is alleged that he was banned from ever performing in Zimbabwe until he repays the money he owes Lussate.

Tshanda was scheduled to perform in Bulawayo on 22 August but the show has since been postponed to 29 August.

His other shows in Harare and Beitbridge have also been postponed to 28 August and 5 September respectively.

Tshanda, who last performed in 2013, despite being paid R11 000 in advance, also failed to attend a scheduled Press conference that was held at Selborne Hotel ahead of his shows last Wednesday.

Tshanda claimed to have failed to perform in Bulawayo because he was "turned away" from the border, as he was using an Emergency Travel Document (ETD), which was rejected by immigration officials.

Officials at immigration offices however said they were not aware of such a report.

"We will look into the issue, but at the moment we have not yet received any report that he was turned away," said an immigration officer, who requested anonymity.

Tshanda however, refuted claims that he still owed promoters of the 2013 shows, saying that he was clean and that there was nothing to refund.

"I do not owe any promoters money. There is absolutely nothing to refund and I have the requirements to perform in Zimbabwe, which is on a contract," he said.

Tshanda further rubbished claims that he duped promoters, saying he was on talking terms with them and they were in talks of holding another show.

"Nobody can ban me from performing in Zimbabwe and I am sure my fans are missing my performances. To be honest we are still on talking terms with those promoters who I am said to have duped," said Tshanda.

Lussate promotions director Kingston Lussate described Tshanda's claims as hogwash, saying that they were not on talking terms and that he still owed them money.

"He is lying, we are not on talking terms and he knows it. He is a liar, National Arts Council of Zimbabwe Harare banned him from ever performing in Zimbabwe until he paid us back our money. We incurred a lot of expenses over his failure to perform here. The ban states that until he pays us back he will never perform in Zimbabwe. Once he pays us off and we present to NACZ proof of payment then he can perform in Zimbabwe.

"He knows that Zimbabwe is his greatest cash cow and now that he can't perform here he is struggling," said Lussate.

NACZ communications officer Catherine Mthombeni, however, said the National Arts Council had not yet cleared Dan Tshanda to perform in Zimbabwe.

"The shows are not yet cleared by National Arts Council of Zimbabwe," she said.

The shows that have been slated for 29 August were being promoted by Sekunjalo Investments and Promotions Company.

Tshanda is one of the most followed musicians in Matabeleland where he has a huge fan base and at one point he was coming into the country twice a year to hold shows due to his immense popularity.