The Ethiopian event organisers broke their silence after the South African duo (Leonard Malatji and Mano Nephawe), popularly known as Mapara A Jazz alleged that they were kidnapped and physically assaulted in Ethiopia.
The pair was booked to perform in Ethiopia. Excited about the trip, they documented and shared their journey on social media. The John Vuligate hitmakers later shared that they had been kidnapped, with one sharing a picture of his swollen face with a long scar on the chin.
Krinfund, the organisers of the Adey Fest music festival in Ethiopia, came forward and denied the claims. The organisers issued a statement citing that Mapara A Jazz were not kidnapped and assaulted this past weekend.
“We are aware of the false information circulating on social media claiming that South African artists Mapara A Jazz, who performed at Adey Fest, were kidnapped and beaten during their stay in Addis Ababa,” read a statement.
“We would like to clarify that these claims are completely false.
“The artists successfully performed at Adey Fest on Saturday, October 26, and peacefully departed from the city on Sunday, October 27. They were escorted by our official Krinfund events team throughout their stay and departure. At no point were the artists harmed, threatened, or placed in any unsafe situation,” the statement continued.
Mapara A Jazz took to their Instagram page to share a short video clip of their performance in Ethiopia.
South African head of public diplomacy, Clayson Monyela said: “Our team in Addis Ababa is looking into these reports. We’ve not been notified by any authorities. Updates will be provided.”
Also see: John Vuli Gate hitmakers back in SA after being kidnapped