KwaZulu-Natal music stores have been swamped with requests for the late Khulekani “Mgqumeni” Khumalo’s music after a man claiming to be him announced he hadn’t died but had been captured through ukuthwebula and had been living with zombies for the past two years.
According to product manager Shiraaz Moola, at Jet Music in Pine Street, Durban, sales doubled after people heard the news of Mgqumeni’s “return”.
“I tripled my order because of the huge demand for Mgqumeni’s music and the supplier ran out of stock,” said Moola.
Mgqumeni, a multi-award-winning maskandi (traditional Zulu folk music) artist, as well as a composer and producer of six maskandi groups, was buried after he died in December, 2009. Two years later, a man identified as John Sibusiso Dlamini-Gcabashe, 28, insists he is Mgqumeni.
“There has been a boost in sales because before we were selling one or two CDs a day – but in these past few weeks we’ve been selling almost 50 a week,” said Moola.
Musica stores also said requests for Mgqumeni’s recordings had been more frequent.
“We’ve never had anything of him in stock before, but after the news we had customers asking for his most recent CD,” said Nonhle Zungu, assistant at Musica in The Workshop shopping centre.
Ukhozi fm programme manager, Zandile Tembe, said Mgqumeni had always been a popular musician on their radio station. “People have always loved him, he was popular before he died and also after his death,”said Tembe.
It’s been almost a month since Dlamini-Gcabashe stood before thousands at a press conference in Nquthu, near Dundee, telling people he was Mgqumeni. Much has happened since then but the divisions between the believers of the “resurrected” man’s story and the sceptics remain.
The maternal side – the Mselekus, who raised Mgqumeni – do not believe he is back, while the paternal side – the Khumalos, as well as Mgqumeni’s girlfriend, Nonhlanhla Majola, still support the man claiming to be him.
Dlamini-Gcabashe was taken into police custody on February 5, after his public announcement and appeared at the Nquthu Magistrate’s Court facing charges of fraud and perjury, when police found that his fingerprints did not match those of Mgqumeni.
At his second court appearance, last week, he was referred to Fort Napier Hospital for psychiatric observation. According to recent reports, Dlamini-Gcabashe’s relatives said they were shocked to see him on TV claiming to be Mgqumeni after he left home 10 years ago.
Mgqumeni’s uncle, Dalingcebo Khumalo, said the matter could be resolved by DNA tests.
“We were going to take him to a traditional healer, but now will have to wait for the legal process to unfold,” said Khumalo. Khumalo said a person who has been living with zombies must be counselled by a traditional healer. - Independent on Saturday