Last My Star talent show winners cry foul

 

My Star talent search competition winners from the last edition, have not received their prizes yet.

Since the competition ended in September 2022, winners, Otsile Motlotle and Lebakwaeng Modisathebe, who was the runner-up, have been up in arms with founder of the competition, Keabetswe Sesinyi aka ‘Master Dee.’

Motlotle, who hails from Mochudi, was announced as My Star Season 15 winner in September last year, but to date has not received any of the promised prizes.

In previous years My Star winner scooped P100 000, while first and second runners-up would each get P10 000.

Motlotle told The Midweek Sun in an interview that founder and director of the competition, Sesinyi had stated that the show did not have a sponsor but was always hopeful that they would secure a sponsor. This, according to Motlotle kept their hopes high.

According to Motlotle, nothing was further communicated with them until they discovered through the media on the day of the finale that the show had not secured a sponsor and therefore there was no prize money.

He said one thing that kept them going as contestants was that in the previous season, there was no sponsor until towards the end of the season and the top three were rewarded.

“When Master Dee was speaking at the grand finale, he stated that I will be awarded a scholarship which I did not get. I sent him texts updating him of what was happening with the process of applying for studies and he was not interested,” Motlotle said.

He waited for a week and half after the grand finale to contact Master Dee and ask the way forward. Sesinyi suggested that they meet. At the meeting, Sesinyi advised that Motlotle select a song for recording, as well as a tertiary institution of his choice to be sponsored by the Department of Tertiary Education Financing.

Motlotle was further told to explore South African institutions but says that Master Dee could not say how he would support him financially while in South Africa or how they would secure his accommodation.

“We did not communicate for close to a month until I contacted him again requesting for a meeting and this time around I went with my parents. He denied in front of my parents that he said he would pay. After that he told me to identify a school then other processes shall follow. Ever since that day he hangs up on me,” Motlotle said.

First runner-up in the competition, Modisathebe shared the same sentiments as Motlotle, adding that during the show, contestants spent money on transport and food.

He narrated that during the top 10 launch trip to Francistown they were each given P50 as money for meals. Towards the end of the show, he said it became apparent that there was no sponsor.

“Master Dee told us that he would record our singles, which we never did. I thought that even if the show had no sponsor, at least we could have been given something as a token of gratitude to just compensate for everything we put in,” Modisathebe said.

Contacted for comment, Master Dee maintained that when the competition started he explained to the contestants that there was no sponsorship and those who are willing to proceed with the competition could do so for their own publicity purposes.

Master Dee said he emphasised in each episode of the show that there are no prizes for the competition unless along the journey, sponsors came through, but never promised anyone prizes.