According to Daily Sun, Owen Ndlovu, of MO Productions has not thrown in the towel as he plans to have the countdown derailed once again. He is still making theft accusations against the radio station, stating that the SOTY is his concept.
Speaking to the paper, he urged listeners to not cast in their votes which cost R1.50 per SMS, because he plans on shutting the countdown.
He claims to have entered an agreement with SABC to share a 50/50 ownership after he had secured sponsors. This deal was to last for 10 years.
“I’m warning Ukhozi FM listeners not to waste their money on this competition, because there will be no Song of the Year announced on 31 December. This is my competition and the SABC has hijacked it from me.”
“In 2017, my company and the SABC registered and signed this concept with 50/50 ownership for a period of 10 years. In the same year, the SABC decided to run the competition without me,” he told the publication.
He explained why he did not stop the SABC and Ukhozi from announcing the top 10 because he sympathised with the artists who asked him not to do so as they had spent a lot of their own monies asking for votes.
“Last year, I was asked by artists not to pursue this case because they had already spent a lot of money canvassing votes. As a result, I deliberately approached the court very late. This time, I will have no mercy and I will stop the competition unless the SABC comes to its senses.”
The songs making it to the charts this year are as follows:
A – Khula – Gallo No Bello, Nisani. B – Uthando Lwami – Amasiblings, DJ Mngadi. C – Ghanama – Makhadzi, Prince Benza. D – Izolo – DJ Maphorisa,Tyler ICU, Visca, Madumane, Mpura, Daliwonga. E – Osama -Zakes Bantwini, Kasango. F – Wena Nkosi Uyazi – Jumbo. G – Isibani – DJ Hlo,DJ Manzo SA, Siboniso. H – Adiwele – Young Stunna, Kabza De Small, DJ Maphorisa. I – Umuzi E Sandton – Big Zulu, Lwa Ndlunkulu. J – Asibe Happy – Kabza De Small, DJ Maphorisa, Ami Faku.
In 2019 Owen heightened his fight with SABC, which saw him jumping for joy when the countdown got halted. He told Sowetan LIVE, "While I was driving on Tuesday, I heard one of the SABC radio stations announcing a Top 10 and asking the listeners to vote. I said this is our concept that SABC is running without us. They have taken everything that we presented to them," he said,
"Somebody will say Ukhozi FM has been doing it for years, but there was no public voting involved before. They handle it the way they do their weekend Top 20, which is based on their playlist. But it is not voted for by people. We identified the spot of the 31st [December] and SABC loved it too." The interdict failed and the SABC continued to air the song of the year.
