Sello Maake Ka Ncube’s dream to bring the life of Lebo Mathosa – the late queen of Kwaito – has been a hard journey. But it would appear that all his real problems started when the show finally hit the stage at the State Theatre in Pretoria.

At first the veteran actor, who wrote and produced the show about Mathosa, had to endure scathing criticism and snippy remarks from the media. Then he had to swat down comments by members of Boom Shaka, Mathosa’s old band, who claimed the show did nothing for the legacy of the late songstress.

Now it appears that his leading lady, the always-controversial Khanyi Mbau, has quit the show to focus more time on her book. According to the Sowetan, Ncube had let the performer and socialite go after she informed him via SMS that she cannot continue her performance and also promote her new book. It is a surprisingly unprofessional move, given that the show is in its final week.

 Mbau has denied that she has been let go.

“I’m not leaving anything. It’s probably a prank because everything is fine on my side,” Mbau told the newspaper. “The book is doing well, the show is doing well. I’m in rehearsals as we speak.”

Yet a September 1 press release states otherwise, quoting Mbau as saying unfortunately the book takes precedence. Ncube has said that the show will go on and that the other performers are up to the challenge, but he did not say who would replace Mbau as the leading star. He also hit back at the critical members of Boom Shaka, saying they cancelled meetings with him and that they can “can write their own stories.”

By James Francis