Singer Nomcebo Zikode is not giving up, despite the Pretoria high court this week reinforcing an earlier ruling that she is not entitled to royalties from the hit song Jerusalema.
Under no circumstance will we rest until Nomcebo receives justice. The Supreme Court of Appeal is our next step, and we’re confident we will get justice
— Sibo Mhlungu, Nomcebo Zikode's manager
“Under no circumstance will we rest until Nomcebo receives justice. The Supreme Court of Appeal is our next step, and we’re confident we will get justice,” her manager Sibo Mhlungu told the Sunday Times after the muso was denied leave to appeal the earlier ruling.
Zikode has been at loggerheads with Open Mic Productions and music distribution and licensing company Africori since 2021 over claims she contributed to the global hit song by Master KG (real name Kgaogelo Moagi).
The court found that any appeal was “bound to fail”, and ruled that Zikode and her management Emazulwini Productions jointly pay the costs of the application.
Open Mic’s legal representative Mongezi Ramalivha told the Sunday Times that while there had been many inaccurate figures regarding costs shared by many publications, they were yet to determine the cost of the legal fees Zikode and her team owe them. “Nomcebo brought an application, and Open Mic opposed it, and successfully argued the matter. Our view is that the relief sought by Nomcebo is not justifiable in law, and that is what we argued,” he said.
“She was aggrieved with the court’s decision in May. They sought the court’s leave to appeal the decision before a full bench. The learned judge was not convinced that a full bench would find any different. Both attempts by Nomcebo were dismissed with costs. Our costs are yet to be taxed in terms of the rules of court.”
Mhlungu said “no resource, time and energy will be spared” in bringing Open Mic to justice. “The age of abusing women in South Africa is done. This is something I’m prepared to spend the entirety of my career doing.
“Nomcebo wrote and performed Jerusalema. This sort of behaviour is only taking place because Nomcebo is a woman. It has never happened that something so brazen, so blatant takes this long to resolve. That was brazen exploitation and abuse.”
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