Deep dive into the ‘grootmans’ of the industry

by Samantha Mochele

In a deep dive into the celebrity world, one issue has increasingly come to light: the failure of some high-profile stars to properly credit and compensate those who contribute to their success.

From unpaid royalties to unacknowledged work, the controversy surrounding these practices is gaining momentum as artists and creators demand what’s rightfully theirs.

One major area of concern is unpaid royalties. Many artists, from musicians to visual artists, find themselves on the losing end when it comes to fair compensation. A prominent example is singer Ishmael Morabe, who is publicly fighting for royalties he claims are owed to him by Kwaito veteran Arthur Mafokate. According to ZiMOJA Ishmael alleges that Arthur still owes him royalties for his hit songs ‘Roba Letheka,’ ‘Akuna Mathata’ and ‘S’manje Manje’.

Another issue is the failure to credit collaborators. Yvonne Chaka Chaka revealed to Newzroom Afrika that despite her contributions to the iconic song “Umqombothi,” she was not credited or compensated. The song was officially composed by Sello “Chicco” Twala and Attie van Wyk.

In addition Idols SA star Botlhale Phora has recently sparked a heated online debate by accusing Prince Kaybee of song theft. On TikTok, Botlhale alleged that Prince Kaybee had used his work without proper credit.

Adding to the drama, DJ Maphorisa was also accused of being the “grootman” who allegedly took advantage of Sir Trill and stole his royalties as reported by TheYanos.

Many affected artists and creators are now taking their grievances to social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook. These platforms have become powerful areas for expressing frustration and demanding justice.

Recently, @Lefa_Mosea took to X to expose Mobi Dixon, writing, “@mobidixon credit me for my work bro it’s been 10 years now. You know very well that I came up with those lines and I wasn’t a session artist and even if I was you never gave me a cent towards this song. God knows how much I have tried to talk to you but you would gaslight me.”

Also see: Heavy-K caught in crossfires of Maphorisa and Samthing Soweto war