Popular Zimbabwean musician Obey Makamure, better known by his stage name Tocky Vibes, is a wanted man in South Africa.
The musician faces arrest the moment he sets foot on South African soil, following a fraud case opened against him by music promoter Royce Mapaike.
The two had entered into an agreement where Mapaike would bankroll Tocky's video shoots in exchange for two live performances.
"We had agreed as planned and I paid for his flights, accommodation and video shoots. In return he was supposed to offer us two shows as part of the deal. Him and his management then started ducking and diving after I spent almost R30 000. I had no option but to take the matter to the police at Brixton Police Station after they started ignoring my calls and blocking me," said Mapaike.
Tocky had two shows scheduled in Johannesburg last weekend. The first was at Club Rampage in Kempton Park on Friday night, where Mapaike and the police arrived to make an arrest. According to sources close to the situation, the organisers had a "gentlemen's agreement" to allow Tocky to perform for an hour before taking him into custody. However, when it was time to leave, Tocky vanished, leaving the authorities baffled.
"Mapurisa acho anga akapusa [the police officers were so foolish], Tocky was hidden in a cold room and when they looked for him they could not find him until they left," said a source.
Mapaike, however, was relentless. On Saturday morning, he and the police tracked Tocky to a guest house where he was staying. Tocky was scheduled to perform at the popular Alicats Pub in Randburg that night. The club owner had to call a lawyer to negotiate a settlement, which was agreed upon for Sunday morning.
As the police waited on Sunday morning, Tocky was already on a flight to Harare, arriving in the afternoon.
"It is very unfortunate that Tocky decided to run away but the long arm of the law will eventually catch up with him. I have all the evidence of the monies I paid him and even the footage and photos of our video shoot," said an irate Mapaike.
"His passport has now been flagged and if he decides to come to South Africa he will get arrested at any port of entry whether airport or via Beitbridge," added Mapaike.
However, a source close to Tocky's management dismissed Mapaike's claims, accusing him of grandstanding.
"That guy Royce is very dishonest. He took other promoters’ money trying to cash in on Tocky. He paid just US$500 (about R8900) and wanted to use gate-takings as part of the deal. It doesn’t work that way. Tocky is very professional and would never breach an arrangement.
“The video shoots that he is talking about he didn’t have the money and did not even pay the models that featured on those videos. Tocky himself had to pay part of the videographer’s fees,” added the source.
Mapaike is no stranger to controversy. A few years ago, he left popular Zimbabwean comedienne Mai Titi stranded in Cosmo City, located some 20km out of Johannesburg city centre, without food or proper accommodation.
Despite the drama surrounding his South African trip, Tocky gave a stellar performance at both shows, which were packed to the brim.
The incident has raised questions about the accountability of artists and the responsibility of promoters in the music industry.
