By Sindiso Dube After being relieved of his duties as the event manager of More Life Entertainment and being reported to the police for abuse of funds amounting to USD $20 000, Pardmore Gawanga has denied “stealing” money, arguing that they “operated on a shoestring budget and there was nothing to steal”.
More Life Entertainment run by Letmore Mbidzo celebrated its first anniversary a fortnight ago with two shows dubbed The Dope Party in Harare and Bulawayo.
Both shows flopped.
They were headlined by South African star Focalistic, Winky D, Buffalo Souljah, Sandra Ndebele, Mzoe 7, Enzo Ishal and Freeman, among others.
More Life Entertainment issued a press statement distancing itself from Gawanga.
“Pardmore Gawanga has been relieved of his duties as More Entertainment manager after a raft of misappropriation of company funds, incompetence and theft of trust property,” read the statement.
“We advise our stakeholders to cease dealing with the above [Gawanga] accused forthwith. If you happen to be in contact please don’t hesitate to contact the nearest police station. Any interaction with him without our approval.
“More Life Entertainment will not be held responsible of the consequences or losses.”
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Mbidzo reported Gawanga to the police and the case is recorded under RRB 5136080 at Harare Central Police Station.
Gawanga is alleged to have sold tickets worth US$1 600 behind Mbidzo’s back. He is further alleged to have underpaid service providers by over US$10 000.
Gawanga has refuted claims by his former boss and said there was nothing to steal as they organised the show on a shoestring budget.
“Harare was a big flop and we only made US$2 000, which is what we went with to Bulawayo where the show flopped as well,” Gawanga told Standard Style.
“I had no access to money or tickets. What I did was to organise and bring in people together.
“I was never given money to pay service providers and I had to negotiate with them to give us services.
“Flight tickets were not paid in cash, ticket agents are owed and even Focalistic is being owed money. He was given R70 000 instead of R90 000.
“The person who handled his [Mbidzo] money was his girlfriend or his second wife Thando, who happens to be Tendai Ndoro’s ex-wife.
“The couple were together and she is the one who was in charge of the money. He has been seeing her and brought her to Zimbabwe yet his wife and kids are in South Africa.”
Maseko is former warriors star Ndoro’s estranged wife. The couple unceremoniously split and she is alleged to have kicked him out of their affluent abode and took over the cars and all properties.
Ndoro made headlines recently when pictures of him in a distressed health condition leaked on social media.
It was then revealed that the former footie who now looks a pale shadow of his former self was now homeless and was seeking redemption at first division one side Simba Bhora owned by Simba Ndoro.
Gawanga revealed that More Life Entertainment didn’t pay the performance fees for Focalistic, Bulawayo DJs, Sandra Ndebele, Judgement Yard and had not settled service providers, graphic designers and flight bills, while Winky D is the only artist said to have been paid in full before the Bulawayo gig.
“He [Mbidzo] is someone who chases clout and fame. We advised him not to host the show at the Harare International Conference Centre, but he was adamant because he wanted clout,” Gawanga said.
“Mbidzo had no proper budget to hold such a show.
“He had to sell his cars (Range Rover and Mercedes Benz) in order to balance the equation. His plan was to resuscitate his business with the revenue from the Dope Party, but that didn’t go well.
“He didn’t even pay for the accommodation in Greendale so how does he say I stole his money, which money?”
Efforts to get comment from Mbidzo were fruitless as he did not respond to messages sent to his mobile phone.
