BOMU president swindles Gospel Melody show winner of prize money

The winner of this year’s Gospel Melody television show Mooketsi Gaontebale has been left in the lurch after the organisers failed to pay him his dues. The owner of the talent show Pagson Ntsie who is the current president of Botswana Musician Union (BOMU) failed to pay Ontebale his prize money of P100, 000 that he won through the much-publicised competition that aired on Botswana television.

Speaking to VIBE in a telephonic interview from Maun where he is based, Gaontebale said that when he first saw the advertisement of the Gospel Melody show, he strongly believed that he had what it took to win. He gave his all throughout the competition and when he scooped the ultimate prize, he was over the moon. “I planned to develop our family property and record a full gospel album,” he said.

But little did he know that his win was all smoke-screen and he would be given the runaround by Ntsie, who had given him “He gave P16, 000 at one Wimpy outlet and promised to give me the balance but he has not done so. My efforts to get my money from him proved futile as he gave me promise after promise until I gave up and decided to approach MYSC since they are the ones who sponsored him for the television show,” he said.

He further narrated that Ntsie was summoned and embarrassed himself in front of government officials. “He claimed that he had given me the whole prize money at Wimpy something which sold him out as there is no way that one can carry such a large sum of money to a restaurant,” he said. Gaontebale said that Ntsie was then directed to urgently pay him his dues. When contacted for a comment, Ntsie who sounded furious, told this reporter that that the show is none of his business.