He says he will now use his God-given talents to entertain an extended audience like other musicians.
Mpumalanga ANC song composer and singer Gamelihle Mbuyane (34) has revealed he will now sing for any political party in South Africa.
He said from now on he will work with anybody, including the IFP, DA and EFF, composing songs and performing at their events.
Gamelihle has registered all his ANC songs with the Southern African Music Rights Organisation (Samro), and it’s now an issue of “all rights reserved” when using his intellectual work.
He said in each and every gathering the ANC plays his song they will have to pay.
“I’m now open to work with anybody, whether DA or EFF,” he said when he spoke to the 013NEWS reporter over the phone Thursday evening 6 February 2020.
“I also wish to warn comrades to not use my intellectual property in any of their personal and factional gatherings,” Gamelihle said, adding the he himself regrets participating in ANC’s squabbles in the past where he would use his God-given talents to “praise individuals” belonging to one rival grouping at the expense of other comrades, the organisation and its struggles.
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Mbuyane said no more will he use his voice to entertain crowds belonging to factions and is now widening up his skills to sing for any organisation.
“I just want to tell each and every member of the ANC to stop using my intellectual property in gatherings where I’m not involved. Basically in any event where I’m not involved they should not use my songs.
“First of all I’m a businessman, I am an artist. If they won’t respect me as a musician they will do nothing for the others. So it must start at home and I’m saying that they should not use my music for their factional reasons,” Gamelihle said.
“I will not allow for politicians to use my music for their selfish interests. I myself had participated in factions and today I regret playing an active part in destroying a people’s organisation, instead of promoting it, and its struggles,” he said.
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In 2015, Gamelihle, an event organiser by profession who studied at the University of Johannesburg in Gauteng, released a full album campaigning for Mabuza to be elected provincial ANC leader for a third-term against those who were saying Mabuza had done “too much damage” and should not continue.
The track, ‘Sifuna uMabuza’ (we want Mabuza) became a wound for other comrades in rival camps, like the SACP’s provincial leader Bonakele Majuba who was at the time fighting with Mabuza and ex-PEC member Peter Nyoni of Save ANC Mpumalanga grouping that was opposed to the third term.
February 2019, Gamelihle was engaged in a heated exchange of texts with national campaign head Fikile Mbalula – apparently over issues of performing at ANC’s rallies, with the two making threats to “f&%$k up” each other.
He says he is now done arguing and if anybody fails to comply with intellectual property laws he will approach the courts and seek justice, should they play his songs without his permission.
Gamelihle has a score of albums on the ANC, the first one being the one he produced in 2012 when the ANC was celebrating 100-years of existence. He began performing at each and every gathering addressed by then leader Jacob Sum across South Africa – with the album titled “Centenary”.
(edited by ZK)
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