Somizi ejected from all-female concert line-up
The celeb says he pulled out of the event, while organisers say they removed him to ensure a 100% female line-up.
Somizi Mhlongo. Picture Instagram
Idols judge, choreographer and all-round celeb Somizi ‘Somgaga’ Mhlongo has been dropped as MC for Bloemfontein’s annual all-woman concert, three days before the event, The Sowetan has reported.
While the organisers say a decision to keep the line-up “all-female” is behind the decision, Mhlongo himself says he pulled out of the event.
The Soulful Sounds Woman to Woman set to take place on Friday at Old Greys 9301 in the Free State capital will now feature Lerato Kganyago and Dineo Ranaka as replacements after organisers C-Squared group decided that the event should not feature any men in honour of Women’s Month.
The organisers said in a statement: “In order to honour Women’s Month, the C-Squared Group made a conscious decision to keep the show and the linup 100% women”. Somizi himself has a different version of events.
He says he pulled out after learning the C-Squared Group had “stolen” the idea from another company called Dot Design Agency. He expressed shock at his name being on the poster, releasing an Instagram post to clear things up as he was tired of people telling him that they would be seeing him in Bloemfontein soon.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bm_H4NInRn0/?hl=en&taken-by=somizi
“I pulled out six weeks ago and they have not even paid. I learned from Dot Design that C-Squared stole their idea and they were being taken to court. Dot Productions has been hosting Women of Note for the past five years and I was an MC at their event.”
Why so many event promoters choose Somizi as the MC for all-female events is unclear.
Dot Design’s Musa Likobo said that while there was “an issue” between his company and C-Squared, it has since been resolved.
Meanwhile, in a post on Instagram on Monday Somizi seems to have confirmed what he’d said all along about his engagement to Mohale Motuang – that he wants it to be short – and got the ball rolling by meeting his bae’s family.
He recently also made headlines when his possessions reportedly came under the hammer for an alleged unpaid tax bill to SARS, a friend was hijacked in his Mercedes and when he lodged two complaints with the SA Human Rights Commission over offensive social media posts.
For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.
For more news your way
Download our app and read this and other great stories on the move. Available for Android and iOS.