Remembering Owen “Gatsheni” Ndlovu: The Fearless Fighter Who Took On the SABC and SAMRO
I knew Owen “Gatsheni” Ndlovu personally to the point where I had the opportunity to be invited to his house in the South of Johannesburg back when I was still working for the Sunday Sun.
We rubbed shoulders with Gatsheni to the point that he never called me by my name Philani but used to say “Bab’uMzila” before he introduced me to his controversial world and his traditional, stubborn rural determination, where he made it clear that he was going to make sure the SABC paid him money for his INGOMA EHLUKANISA NYAKA (Song of the Year) concept, which he claimed they stole from him.
I am not sure what eventually happened to the battle over INGOMA EHLUKANISA NYAKA with the SABC, because he used to complain that they took his original idea and tweaked it here and there just to be able to generate money using the SMS concept.
But how can we forget the day he stopped Ukhozi FM from playing INGOMA EHLUKANISA NYAKA at the very last minute, forcing it to be played in March/April of the following year.
I remember very well that in that particular year, the song that had received the most votes belonged to Ntencane, and the Maskandi fans (Amabhinca) did not take what Gatsheni did very well, insulting him on his social media pages.
Gatsheni was a man of his word because after that beef with Ukhozi FM, he directed his anger toward SAMRO for what he claimed was them “chowing” (misappropriating) artists’ money.
It is a known fact that Gatsheni and SAMRO CEO Annabelle Lebethe were supposed to appear in court today over SAMRO’s finances. However, that did not happen because three unknown men kidnapped him on Tuesday, and the following day he was found murdered in Thokoza, next to Katlehong in Johannesburg.
Gatsheni did not tolerate nonsense; he loved money, and that is why he would fight to the bitter end for it.
Another thing about Gatsheni is that he was a man who loved his wife.
I remember well when he invited me to his house that the reception from Portia (his wife) made it feel like we had known each other for a long time.
We were hosted so well that we only left around 02:00 in the early hours of the morning.Besides being a reliable source who did not tolerate the corruption happening at the SABC, he made sure that he spoke out about everything that was wrong within that broadcaster.
Gatsheni may be gone, but he will never be forgotten after he pulled a Nkosana-Vodacom style stunt on the SABC, fighting them over the money he claimed they owed him.Rest in peace, Gatsheni.
The fight is not over, as LACO (Living Artists Coalition) is taking your fight forward with SAMRO.
Rest In Peace Gatsheni……you will forever be missed by Bab’uMzila.
Philani Mzila is a seasoned Reporter for MDN News specialising in General News, Entertainment and Business Articles.
