ARTISTS United has come out guns blazing after the Southern African Music Rights Organisation (Samro) dismissed Mpho Mofikoe.
Mofikoe, who served as a COO for Samro, was officially dismissed by the collection company.
Artists United, which has been defending Mpho since her suspension, released a statement and said they were concerned about how the matter was handled.
"Artists United (AU) is deeply concerned about the dismissal of Ms Mpho Mofikoe and serious governance failures at SAMRO. During Ms Mofikoe's disciplinary hearing, three witnesses, Owen Ndlovu, Eugene Mthethwa, and Tshepo Mashiane, testified clearly in support of her innocence. Their testimony confirmed that no misconduct occurred, and the disciplinary action should not have taken place.
"On 10 July, while acting on behalf of the Board, Ms Mofikoe was assured by the previous Chairperson that she would be protected. The subsequent disciplinary action and dismissal contradict this assurance and raise the appearance of retaliation. Ms Mofikoe was accused of leaking the Fundudzi Forensic Report," they said in a statement.
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Mofikoe previously spoke to Daily Sun about her dismissal.
"When confidentiality becomes a bridge to concealment, integrity must be the path we choose. I stand today dismissed from my role at SAMRO, branded guilty of gross insubordination and breach of confidentiality. These charges were not born out of misconduct, but out of my refusal to be ignorant and remain silent in the face of wrongdoing. My dismissal is not the story of defiance; it is the story of integrity.
"For years, I committed myself to protecting whistle-blowers, safeguarding witnesses, and ensuring that investigations into large-scale fraud were pursued with transparency and accountability. Yet, when confidentiality was twisted into a shield to hide misconduct, I chose to speak. I chose integrity over silence, truth over concealment. The charges against me reveal more about the institution than they do about me," she said.
In their statement, Artists United further requested that the CEO be removed from all matters involving Mofikoe.
"AU therefore demands that the CEO be immediately removed and recused from all matters involving Ms Mpho Mofikoe.
"AU will not be silent. We are committed to ensuring justice prevails and will take all necessary steps to hold SAMRO leadership accountable. The Board must act immediately to protect Ms Mofikoe and restore trust in the institution," they said.
When called by the SunTeam about Mofikoe's dismissal, Samro declined to comment.
