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Musician at a performance
Songwriters, musicians and political party representatives have marched to the offices of Music Rights Organisation (SAMRO) in Johannesburg, where they handed over a memorandum.
This follows the release of a report exposing corruption worth millions of rand in music royalties due to artists.
The marchers allege that the royalties are being cashed out by certain SAMRO board members. Musician and songwriter, Nomsa Mazwai, says with a career spanning over two decades, she has never received any money from her royalties.
“In 2011, I won my first South African Music Award. For the first five years of my royalties collected by SAMRO, I made zero cents because I was not a member of SAMRO but they still proceeded to collect my royalties on my behalf and did not give it to me. When I came to collect it, they say it prescribed they gave it to themselves. SAMRO is a crime scene. SAMRO is institutionalised corruption.”
Related Video | SAMRO rocked by royalty fraud allegations
