This comes after it emerged that Makhadzi, who has been booked to perform at the event is set to go on a tour in the United Kingdom (UK) and Canada in the same month.
According to Makhadzi’s gig guide posted on her official Facebook page, the talented singer and dancer is booked to perform in Canada & Ottawa African Festival on July 16 and 23. She will then proceed to Birmingham, UK where she is booked to perform at the JAMAFRO on July 30, the same day she has been booked for the Gantsi event.
Her tour in the UK will end on July 5 with a performance at ZIMFEST in London, leaving the local event organiser in the lurch.
After announcing the line-up for their event this week, the local organisers were disappointed to learn that their event headliner will be performing over a thousand miles away on the same day.
On Wednesday, Events 101, the organisers of the Gantsi Invasion, stated that they are currently facing challenges with the Makhadzi booking and have moved to engage their legal team.
“We have contacted our legal team to advise us on the matter. We apologise for any inconvenience and we will surely keep you updated on the issue,” read a statement from Events 101. One of the organisers Mox Gaolape said they actually have a contract with Open Mic productions who are Makhadzi's management.
He said they are engaged with both Makhadzi’s management and the UK promoter to find a solution to the issue.
Makhadzi stated on her page that this is not just a tour but also a dream come true. “Performing outside of your comfort zone it means a lot (sic),” she said.
Makhadzi then posted that she was not aware of the Botswana gig booking, indicating that the local promoters had booked through a wrong manager, a post she later on took down.
The latest feat by Makhadzi to ditch local event promoters is not the first. While Makhadzi has always honoured her booking contracts to perform locally, there has been an outcry from local promoters over the habit by some South African artistes who never pitch up to events they are booked to perform at. In most instances, it has emerged that the biggest reasons for not showing up has been the issue of double booking.
Makhadzi has enjoyed recent success with her tours in Botswana. She was the most booked artiste in the country during the 2021 festive period. She later on declared the love that Batswana have shown her, something she said was the main reason for her to stage her One Woman Show gig in the country.
