Chaos ensued in Milpark as members of Samro interrupted a press briefing. Image credit: Refilwe Kholomonyane
(The Post News) – The fragile peace at the Southern African Music Rights Organisation (Samro) shattered on Wednesday morning as a scheduled media briefing descended into chaos. A group of furious members, demanding transparency and accountability, crashed the event, sparking a dramatic confrontation with security guards.
The scene, set at the Garden Court Hotel in Milpark, was meant to be a controlled update on the organization’s embattled state. Instead, it became a battleground for a long-simmering war between leadership and its critics. Led by vocal dissenters like Owen Ndlovu, the members bypassed security and stormed the conference room, their voices filled with indignation.
“This is an unlawful meeting,” Ndlovu declared, his words a fiery challenge to the officials inside. “As members of Samro, we should be allowed to attend. They are lying to you!”
The disruption brought the briefing to a grinding halt. Samro CEO Annabelle Lebethe was forced to step in, a temporary truce brokered with a promise to meet the members after the press had left. Yet, even with security maintaining a tight perimeter, the air remained thick with tension.
This explosive incident is the latest chapter in a saga of mistrust fuelled by the Fundudzi report, which exposed alleged fraudulent royalty claims and mismanagement.
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