Maskandi Star Fihliskhwele Exposes Exploitation: “Paid Nothing After Spending My Own Money”
Popular Maskandi musician Fihliskhwele has broken his silence regarding the continuous financial exploitation of artists within the traditional music industry.
The singer has publicly accused several event organisers and fellow musicians of failing to pay his performance fees, despite him honoring his bookings and incurring heavy travel expenses.
The latest dispute stems from an event hosted over the past weekend by Mama Dr Buselaphi.
According to Fihliskhwele, performing artists were promised a 90% deposit upfront.
To date, he has not received a single cent. He noted that while other artists have been compensated, the event organiser, identified as Nqobile, told him his payment depends on the payouts from Computicket ticket sales.
Fihliskhwele revealed that this is part of a recurring pattern of financial neglect, recalling a similar incident from 2025 at an event hosted by fellow artist Menzi.
When he demanded his money from Menzi, he was passed back and forth between Menzi’s foundation, Zulu Snacks, and the event planner, Lwazi, with everyone dodging financial accountability.
The musician expressed deep heartbreak over the situation, highlighting the steep personal costs required to deliver a quality show for fans.
“What they are doing to me is painful, because I use my own petrol money, hire cars to travel with my dancers, and then get there only to receive nothing,” Fihliskhwele lamented.
Fed up with the mistreatment, Fihliskhwele took to social media to air his grievances.
He urged the industry and fans to take the non-payment of artists seriously, demanding that organizers respect the financial investments musicians make to show up and perform.
