Legend Manqele has been forced to shut down his production banner BarLeader TV, says he owes Bonang Matheba nothing who is allegedly "unprofessional" and that her reality show Being Bonang was cancelled over her own "bad behaviour", and that Mohale Motaung is also owed no money and couldn't be paid after "certain things went down at M-Net" following a disastrous Showmax wedding special with Somizi Mhlongo.
In an interview with City Press newspaper (paywall), the controversial TV producer Legend Manqele says he was forced to shut down his BarLeader TV production company following reputation damage and that he and his production company was damaged by "badly managed and badly behaved talent".
Legend Manqele claims that Bonang Matheba's reality show Being Bonang for M-Net's canned 1Magic TV channel on DStv was cancelled due to her "bad behaviour", that she's "unprofessional" and that BarLeader TV doesn't owe her any money.
He says Bonang Matheba "was paid for her show. At times, she was paid late or the following month because she wouldn't arrive to shoots, or we would find ourselves on set and she wasn't there. Or we had to extend our hours into the night because she forgot. She wasn't being managed well and she wasn't necessarily professional".
BarLeader TV took over the production of the reality show Living the Dream with Somizi from its second season for M-Net's Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) TV channel.
That was followed by the tacky reality TV wedding series, Somizi & Mohale: The Union which was filmed for MultiChoice's Showmax video streamer in 2020.
After the couple's relationship soured, leaked production recordings shocked the industry and the public in which Mohale Motaung accused Somizi Mhlongo of alleged violent physical abuse and of having threatened to kill him with a kitchen knife.
Instead of paying the couple their R1.5 million for Somizi & Mohale: The Union, Legend Manqele says he paid the South African Revenue Service (SARS) since Somizi Mhlongo owed SARS money. Since BarLeader TV closed down and the payment agreement was with SARS, Legend Manqele says he doesn't owe Somizi Mhlongo money.
Legend Manqele says BarLeader TV was owed money by M-Net for Showmax's Somizi & Mohale: The Union but didn't get it "because certain things went down at M-Net".
