Singer and songwriter Nomsa Mazwai has opened a criminal case against DJ and producer Black Coffee. She claims he owes her R2m in royalties for their 2012 hit song Traveller.
Mazwai, known as Nomisupasta, opened the case at Sandton police station on August 17. She said she has tried to get the money for almost 15 years, the Sunday Times reported.
“I’ve been asking Black Coffee for my money for 15 years. Must I lose my home over this?” Mazwai told the Sunday Times.
Black Coffee, whose real name is Nkosinathi Maphumulo, has rejected the claim. According to legal letters seen by the Sunday Times, his side called it baseless, opportunistic, defamatory and malicious.
Police spokesperson Capt Tintswalo Sibeko said the case docket was first withdrawn. Police had decided it was a civil matter.
“However, following consultation with the prosecutor, the case was reopened, and instructions were given to obtain a warning statement from the suspect,” Sibeko said.
She said the investigating officer was still waiting to get the warning statement. Once the investigation ends, the docket will go to the senior public prosecutor for a decision.
Traveller was a collaboration between Mazwai and Black Coffee. It also featured the duo Black Motion. Mazwai is listed on YouTube Music as a performer, writer and producer of the song.
Mazwai said the R2m figure was her best estimate. She said she based it on public information about median earnings for similar songs he released at the time. She said the full documents would be needed in discovery.
“I was really young when he asked me to be on the song. He approached me. There was no label, and he was in New York,” she said.
She said the deed of assignment, which deals with publishing, shows that she owns the lyrics. She also said she never signed away her master rights and never agreed to a session fee.
Mazwai said his lawyers kept telling her to speak to Sampra, the South African Music Performance Rights Association. She said that body deals with a different kind of royalty, not the one she is claiming.
“Right now, I’m fighting for my home. My kids go to school in our area, so if I lose this house, I will have to apply for new schools,” she said.
Mazwai was general manager of the Soweto Theatre for five years before she left in 2021. She has not been able to find a job in the public sector since then.
Account statements seen by the Sunday Times show featured artist royalty payments of R7,000 for Mazwai and Black Motion. These covered the period from January 2013 to December 2024.
Black Coffee’s legal team said any recording income was received and accounted for by Soulistic Music. This is the independent record label he started in 2005.
His lawyer, David Feinberg of Rosengarten & Feinberg, wrote to Mazwai’s attorney. “The allegation of fraud is baseless. Your client’s complaint is also directed at the wrong person,” he said.
Feinberg said the R2m figure was also baseless and had not been set out in detail. “That is not a claim. It is not evidence. It is not a basis for a criminal complaint,” he wrote.
Black Coffee had agreed to answer questions, but the Sunday Times said no comment was received from him by the time it went to print.
Source: this article is based on reporting by TimesLIVE. Image: TimesLIVE. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice Entertainment desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Rirhandzu Baloyi writes about entertainment for Tzaneen Voice. Rirhandzu covers South African music, film, TV, streaming, awards and celebrity news, from amapiano and local soapies to Showmax and Netflix releases. Stories stick to what happened, who was involved and when fans can watch or listen.