Court Orders King Monada to Refund Promoter R49,000 Over Missed Performance

Limpopo music star King Monada has once again landed in hot water after failing to show up for a booked performance — this time being ordered by the Nkowankowa Magistrate’s Court to pay back R49,000 to local promoter Eric Thoka, plus legal costs.

The court’s ruling, delivered on July 25, sided entirely with Thoka, who says the battle was never personal — it was about principle.

“We needed to recover our money after he humiliated us by not showing up. I’ll never book him again,” Thoka told Sunday World.

The dispute traces back to a December 2022 booking for a New Year’s Day festival in Lebowakgomo. Eric Thoka claims he paid King Monada in advance, printed posters, sold tickets, and hyped the show based on his appearance, only for the Idibala hitmaker to be spotted performing at another event in Pretoria on the same day.

According to Eric Thoka, when confronted about his whereabouts, King Monada initially promised he would make it on time, but later went off the radar just as it was his turn to perform. The promoter also alleges that King Monada later complained about his fee, saying it wasn’t enough for a headliner, and promised to return the money — a promise that never materialised.

After months of back-and-forth and no resolution, Eric Thoka took legal action. While King Monada didn’t attend the hearing in person, his lawyer appeared, reportedly taking instructions from him over the phone.

This is not King Monada’s first run-in with such controversy. In 2023, Limpopo Artists Movement chairperson Mphoza Mashabela also won a lawsuit against the singer for another missed booking and refusal to refund payment.

With the latest court order against him, the pressure is on King Monada to pay up — or risk further legal trouble.