Phil Mphela, a well-known social media analyst, is publicly demanding payment for his work with Mr. South Africa and Mr. Universe South Africa, claiming he was never paid the R65,000 he was promised.
Mphela recently took to social media to express his frustration, revealing that, despite fulfilling his presenting duties, his payment remains unpaid.
According to him, this issue has lingered for months, and after waiting five months to resolve it privately, he has now resorted to using public pressure.
“I did the work. Everyone was happy until it came time for my payment,” Mphela stated, frustrated with the situation.
He mentioned that the legal back-and-forth had only further delayed the resolution.
“The semantic games of who hired me really don’t matter to me. Mr. Universe benefitted from my work, so they should ensure I get paid.”
Legal Threats Instead of Payment
Mphela also shared his frustration about receiving legal threats instead of the expected payment.
He expressed how the money spent sending legal letters could have been used to settle the debt months ago.
“The money they waste sending me legal letters trying to intimidate me could have settled this payment long ago,” he wrote.
He pointed out that the lack of clarity around when the gig took place only adds to the confusion.
Mr. South Africa’s Response
In a statement, the organisers of Mr. South Africa and Mr. Universe South Africa denied any financial responsibility towards Mphela.
They clarified that their contract was not with him directly, but rather with Ms. Nohashe of Epsy Communications.
“We categorically deny that we owe Mr. Mphela R65,000,” their statement read.
They further explained that they had tried contacting Ms. Nohashe regarding the unpaid debt and received confirmation from her legal representative that the issue had been resolved.
“We’ve made several attempts to reach Ms. Nohashe regarding this debt, and her legal representative has confirmed the debt but said it was resolved,” they added.
A Public Dispute Continues
Despite the denial from Mr. South Africa and Mr. Universe South Africa, Mphela is not backing down. “Let me be clear, all I want is my money in my account,” he stated.
He has expressed that he will continue to highlight the situation publicly, even if it means facing legal action.
“I will use the only recourse I have, which is to remind Mr. Universe that I haven’t been paid,” he said defiantly.
The Mr. South Africa organisation has responded by dismissing Mphela’s public push as an attempt to “extort money” from them, arguing that the matter lies between Mphela and Epsy Communications, not them directly.
“We will not allow our brands to be bullied or harassed by individuals who are not in full possession of the facts,” they concluded in their statement.
The Ongoing Battle Over Payment
As the social media dispute continues to unfold, Mphela remains firm in his demand for payment, while Mr. South Africa and Mr. Universe South Africa continue to distance themselves from the issue.
The responsibility has been placed squarely on Ms. Nohashe and her company, Epsy Communications.
With both parties holding their ground, it seems the public battle for payment will go on.