Afro-soul musician Simphiwe Dana's former music director, Titi Luzipho, has denied using her email address to apply for the Covid-19 relief grant offered by the Department of Sports, Arts & Culture a few years ago. Titi's response comes after Dana alleged that she never received the grant and instead, Titi was the one who applied for it using her email address. 

GLOVES ARE OFF

ZiMoja previously reported that Dana was demanding an apology from Gayton McKenzie, the new Minister of Sport, Arts & Culture (DSAC). This is after McKenzie asked his office to release a list of beneficiaries of the Covid-19 relief grant, where Dana was also named as a beneficiary. After the list was made public, Dana, of Ndiredi fame, took offence and said that she did not receive any money from the grant. Dana wrote on her Facebook page: "Gayton refusing to apologise for accusing me of taking R20,000 from artists who really needed it is annoying me to no end. I don't know why Titi put my name in her application and I'm thinking of taking it further." The department said that Dana's email was used to apply for the grant. In a statement late last night, Titi said Dana could have explored the legal remedies she may have against DSAC, but she chose to direct her fury to her. "This is not surprising given that she had texted me prior to her social media crusade and threatened to weaponise her social media following against me, which she has now successfully done," Titi said.

FALSE, UNSUBSTANTIATED AND DEFAMATORY 

Titi said Dana's statement was false, unsubstantiated, and defamatory. "Following the release of a list of names of artists who reportedly benefitted from the DSAC Covid-19 relief grant, Dana took umbrage with her name appearing on the list. Ms. Dana suggested, among other things, that I wrongfully and fraudulently used her name to secure the grant. Additionally, Ms. Dana claims that my grant application came through her email. These claims are not only absurd but malicious and published with the sole purpose of impairing my dignity and brand," Titi said in the statement. She said that she intends to take all available legal measures to protect her dignity and brand as an artist.

SHE WAS ALSO AFFECTED BY COVID 

Admitting that she also applied and benefitted from the Covid-19 relief grant, Titi said she did not do anything untoward to get her fair share of money as a working artist. Titi explained: "Like many other artists, I was affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. I subsequently applied for the grant. The grant application form required me to submit information, including a list of cancelled gigs due to Covid-19 and details of engagements I participated in. I listed the requested information, including my work with Ms Dana. This is the only manner in which Ms. Dana's name was mentioned in the application," she said.

She added that she did not apply on behalf of Dana nor use her email to lodge the grant application. "It would have been physically impossible to use Ms. Dana email as the application form was online. In any event, I have never had access to Ms. Dana's email, and despite being under no legal restriction to list my work history, I, (as courtesy), still asked Ms. Dana for permission to list my work with her in the grant application, to which she agreed," Titi added. "Ms. Dana is not the only artist to complain about being erroneously included on the list. Another prominent artist (unrelated to myself) was vocal about being wrongfully listed. If Ms. Dana was erroneously listed by DSAC, this cannot and should not be attributed to me under any circumstances." Dana ignored our calls.