Burna Boy’s South Africa Show Cancelled Amid Fraud Allegations Against Organiser

Burna Boy’s highly anticipated live show in South Africa has been cancelled following allegations of fraud against one of the event’s organisers. The Nigerian artist was scheduled to perform at Johannesburg’s FNB Stadium, but the concert was called off in the days leading up to the event amidst rumours of poor ticket sales.

Promoter Ternary Media Group, responsible for organizing the show, revealed that the concert was postponed due to pending legal proceedings related to a fraud claim. CEO Sedote Nwachukwu, accused of embezzling R10 million (£435,000) from the company, has been relieved of his duties until further notice.

Nwachukwu denied the allegations, claiming that his business partner, Gregory Wings, had taken a significant portion of the tickets sold by Ticketpro without his consent. He alleged that Wings sold and distributed the tickets at nightclubs and campuses. Nwachukwu further stated that he hadn’t seen Wings since arriving in South Africa over a week ago.

Wings lodged a complaint with the police, asserting that he discovered over R8 million had been transferred to Nwachukwu’s US bank account without his consent, based on an account verification document provided by Ticketpro.

The Gauteng provincial police have opened a fraud case and are currently investigating the matter.

Burna Boy’s management team expressed regret over the cancellation, citing the promoters’ failure to fulfill their contractual, production, financial, and technical obligations. They noted that production vendors had not been paid, making it impossible to meet the required production standards for the venue size.

Although organisers have stated that the show will be rescheduled for December 16, representatives from FNB Stadium have stated that a contract has not yet been signed.

Burna Boy, who made history as the first African artist to headline a UK stadium with a sold-out concert at London Stadium, released his seventh studio album, ‘I Told Them…’, last month.

Fans who purchased tickets for the cancelled show are advised to seek refunds from the respective ticketing companies. Burna Boy’s team expressed their apologies and conveyed their anticipation of seeing fans again soon.

As the investigation into the fraud allegations continues, the impact on Burna Boy’s future performances and the resolution of the contractual issues remains to be seen.