AFTER maskandi musician Mthandeni Manqele was recently kicked out from stage and told to voetsek during his performance in Durban recently, he's taken a bold decision.
The Paris hitmaker said going forward, he won't participate in any maskandi festivals hosted in Durban.
He said during maskandi festivals, he always faces difficulties and humiliation, and that tarnishes his image and that makes him seem rude.
He said he's well-received in other places, instead.
During the Mother of All Maskandi Festival in Durban on 6 April, Mthandeni was late and didn't perform during his allocated time slot.
Instead, he took to the stage at the time reserved for other performers, prompting event organiser Zimdollar Biyela to seize the microphone and sent him off stage.
Mthandeni said it was not the first time he faced difficulties during his performance.
“Now is the time to take a decision and save my life and the lives of my loyal fans. I won't be part of any maskandi festivals in Durban until I get the respect I deserve.
“I took this decision because I wanted peace. No wonder I’m not getting bookings in the Durban maskandi festival and getting bad treatment," he said.
ALSO READ: Mampintsha is a 'good idlozi' for top DJ!
Mthandeni said if he didn't take action, maskandi music history could be misinterpreted.
“Now, I'm getting bookings in Eswatini, Zimbabwe and overseas. No one can say I disrespected people there," he said.
Mthandeni added that those who don’t know the truth think he's rude and always wants to fight.
Daily Sun understands that it's not the first time Mthandeni has been a victim.
In 2022, maskandi musicians formed a dance group, Ifolo Lomaskandi, and he was snubbed.
The group was going to dance during a festival called Ingoma kaZwelonke.
Mthandeni approached the festival in a helicopter, and it was thought he wanted to disrupt it.
In 2023, he gatecrashed a media briefing for the Khuphuka Nezakho Maskandi Festival and fought with the event organiser, Lungelo Vilane.
He later apologised, saying he was drunk as it was his birthday.
