Zanele Mbokazi's body has barely gone cold yet poet Mzwakhe Mbuli is claiming that the Crown Gospel Music Awards as his brainchild.

SHOCKING CLAIMS 

Zanele Mbokazi-Nkambule death was announced yesterday and now Mzwakhe Mbuli, better known as the The People's Poet has came out to claim that he is the co-founder of the SABC Crown Gospel Awards. Mzwakhe made the shocking revelations in a letter addressed to the "Victory is Certain" WhatsApp group. The group is made up of 99 musicians and artists from different genres from around the country. 

After the first artist posted the first message that Mbokazi had passed on at 7:28am, at 8:24am Mzwakhe posted a message with the heading: "THE TRUTH ABOUT SABC CROWN GOSPEL AWARDS...DALI MPOFU IS AWARE"

THEY KNOW THE TRUTH

Mzwakhe claimed that EFF leader and advocate Dali Mpofu knew about the formation of the awards. Mpofu was working at the SABC at the time Mzwakhe said he founded the awards. The author of the message is Joseph Mzankomo, who makes up Mzwakhe's management team. 

The statement read, "Mzwakhe Mbuli is the founder of the SABC Crown Gospel Awards. He started when Advocate Dali Mpofu and the late Mvuzo Mvebe were at the SABC. Official meetings took place at the SABC Headquarters in Auckland Park. The rest is history, regardless that Mzwakhe Mbuli's name was muted."

After Mbokazi launched the Crown Gospel Music Awards, Mzwakhe did not give up and founded other awards. "Fortunately Mbuli progressed and established the Siyabakhumbula Awards in 2010 at Gallagher Estate Convention. Historical background includes the likes of Vuyo Mokoena, Sbongiseni Mbambo, Sandile Mbanjwa, least to mention. The late SABC Marketing Manager Joyce Dube used to repeat the phrase that the nation need to know that the People's Poet Mzwakhe Mbuli is the co-founder of the SABC Crown Gospel Awards."

HE IS NOT BLUFFING 

A source who was part of the PR company, has confirmed that Mzwakhe is "indeed the co-founder of the SABC Crown Gospel Music Awards".

The source said Mbokazi spent most weeks in Joburg during the planning session for the awards ceremony. A source who worked closely with Mbokazi and the People's Poet said Mzwakhe is not slanderous by declaring that he was sidelined after being a co-founder of the awards. 

"The Crown Gospel Music Awards were going to be a game changer for artists because we felt that the SA Music Awards never really gave gospel artists their recognition. We worked tirelessly with both Zanele Mbokazi and Mzwakhe Mbuli. The team made sure they secure the services of top journalists to be part of their PR team to promote the event. The PR team, which we can't mention because they are still practicing journalists, even suggested some categories for the awards," said the source. 

The informant said they were meeting at hotels where they would strategise a way forward. During those meetings held at a Sandton hotel, Mzwakhe was no longer part of the plenary team. Zanele allegedly just dismissed questions when asked about Mzwakhe's whereabouts. 

"Zanele knew that she was working with journalists, so she was safe. No one was going to expose her shenanigans because the journalists were part of her PR team, so they were compromised already. It is sad that we have to speak about her like this when she has already passed on," said the insider. 

WATER UNDER THE BRIDGE

After Mzwakhe was sidelined, the event went ahead in Durban at the ICC Durban Arena, on Sunday 24 August, 2008.

The inaugural event was hosted by Criselda Kananda and Steven Molakeng, Metro FM host and Gospel Gold presenter respectively at the time.

The source said: "The late Vuyo Mokoena was voted as the Best Male Gospel Artist since he could not be part of the committee as a musician. Remember he was there during the inception process. After Season 1 of the awards, MaZet did not work with the journalists as part of her PR team. She used her PR company, Mirror PR, which has been doing a sterling job since then."

Mzwakhe said, "The news about the passing away of Zanele Mbokazi shocked us. May God strengthen the bereaved family during this period of grief." Mbuli confirmed the statement as true. He said he started the concept way before Mbokazi and said she got involved because she had a PR company. "I started the awards with journalists initially but it is all water under the bridge," he added