Zola’s family fed up with him and his bad press
By Amukelani Chauke , 21 Sep 2008The family of kwaito star and TV presenter Zola have turned against him, he says.
The artist, whose real name is Siyabonga Dlamini, said recent “untrue” reports about his sex life and the number of children he has fathered have upset his family in KwaZulu-Natal.
“Maybe what I needed was to talk to someone…”
Zola
Now they have refused to let him conduct a traditional Zulu ceremony (Imbeleko) to welcome his youngest daughter into the family. The artist has a two-year-old daughter, Mvelo, with his girlfriend, Gannet Maseko.
Zola said the reports had damaged his reputation and nearly cost him his position as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef).
It was reported earlier this year that his girlfriend, Maseko, had sued him for maintenance for their daughter and had threatened to open a case of statutory rape against him.
This week, Zola said he was relieved he had finally opened up about how he felt about the claims about his sex life and his children. In an SMS he said: “Maybe what I needed was to talk to someone because I feel like a two-year-old load just got off my chest. ”
Another report claimed Zola ditched his label, Ghetto Ruff Records, and that he boycotted a free concert to market other Ghetto Ruff artists. But on Friday, the owner of Ghetto Ruff Records, Lance Stehr, said Zola’s absence resulted from a breakdown in communication.
Unicef spokesman Patricia Lone said the UN body was made aware of the negative reports. They were “never independently verified” and “have not led to any rupture in Unicef’s relationship with Zola”
