“Can He Tell Us Which Part?” — Loyiso and Zwai Bala Fire Back at Gwyza Over ‘Shibobo’ Songwriting Claims
The long-standing brotherhood of the iconic 1990s kwaito era has hit a turbulent patch.
A fierce debate has erupted between the Bala brothers, Zwai and Loyiso, and former TKZee Family affiliate Gwyza over the credits of one of South Africa’s greatest musical triumphs.
The tension resurfaced after Gwyza claimed that he was the mastermind behind the lyrics of the 1998 hit soccer anthem, “Shibobo”.
The track, which famously sampled Europe’s The Final Countdown and featured soccer legend Benni McCarthy, propelled the core TKZee trio—Zwai Bala, Kabelo Mabalane, and the late Tokollo “Magesh” Tshabalala—into absolute superstardom.
Responding to the claims, R&B star Loyiso Bala did not mince his words.
He openly questioned Gwyza’s sudden recollection of the songwriting process, challenging him to pinpoint his exact contributions.
“Gwyza claims that he wrote Shibobo. Can he tell us which part?” Loyiso questioned sharply.
Industry records and digital streaming registries like Apple Music and Spotify historically attribute the musical composition and lyrics of the track strictly to Zwai Bala, Tokollo Tshabalala, J. Tempest, and T. Streicher.
While Gwyza was an essential member of the broader TKZee Family collective—collaborating on the massive 1999 Guz 2001 album and hits like Viva La Pantsula—the Bala camp maintains that Shibobo was already a sealed masterpiece before the extended family took shape.
Zwai Bala, widely respected as the classical and choral backbone of TKZee’s signature “Guz” sound, has long been heralded as the architect behind the arrangement of Shibobo.
The track went on to sell over 280,000 units, securing its place in the South African music hall of fame.
With the Bala brothers standing firmly together on their legacy, the ball is now in Gwyza’s court to answer Loyiso’s question and clarify exactly which bars of the historic track he claims to have written.
