It never rains but pours for defunct TS Records. The controversial record label, co-owned by Radio 2000 host DJ Sbu and politician TK Nciza, is making headlines after Robbie Malinga’s wife revealed that the label swindled them millions in unpaid royalties.
ANN MALINGA’S ROYALTY WOES WITH TS RECORDS MAKE HEADLINES
According to reports, the record label owes Malinga millions in royalties dating back to 2017, the year he died. On 25 December, Robbie Malinga succumbed to pancreatic cancer after being in and out of hospital.
Years later, Ann Malinga has yet to receive royalties from several record labels, including TS Records, which worked with the late award-winning star. This is undoubtedly not the first time the record label has been involved in royalty woes with Ann Malinga.
She hasn’t received royalties from TS Records since 2007. However, the rumour mill has it that the record label continues to receive mounting pressure from Ann Malinga to cough up millions in royalties.
Over the years, Mzansi has undoubtedly been clueless about the amount of unpaid royalties. Reports have it that the record label owes Robbie Malinga’s family over R5 million in unpaid royalties. Controversial blogger Musa Khawula revealed the staggering amount in an X post.
Khawula posted, “Robbie Malinga’s widower, Ann Malinga, demands over R5 million from TS Records in unpaid royalties. Ann Malinga says TK Nciza and DJ Sbu have never paid any royalties since her husband’s passing in 2017.” Ann Malinga is still after TS Records.
The post has since gained thousands of comments and reactions since it dropped. Over the years, the record label has been accused of defrauding artists, including Zahara and Pro Kid, of their royalties. The late Afro-pop star Zahara is one of the singers who dragged the record label for not paying her royalties.
UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP’S HEADACHE
In recent years, Ann Malinga has blasted TS Records and Universal Music Group because of their woes. In one of her sit-and-tell interviews, she revealed that soon after her husband’s death, she was already fighting to keep his fortune.
Despite Universal Music Group paying Robbie Malinga’s royalties, she revealed that the figures are always incorrect. She has it that she must always reason with the record for clarity. Ann Malinga revealed that she had to look for an accountant to balance the books.
However, in one of her interviews, she said she was informed that a two-million rand loan was taken by one of the co-owners of the record label under which Zahara was signed. Ann Malinga did not reveal who took the loan, which has since implicated Malinga, who produced some of Zahara’s music.