What was meant to be a festive celebration at the annual Children’s Day festival in Matola, Mozambique, took a dramatic turn after Amapiano artist Scotts Maphuma failed to show up on time for his headline performance—prompting event organisers to involve the police.
Scotts Maphuma, real name Mpho Lebajoa, was scheduled to perform on Sunday, June 1, at Lizha só festas, a major event in the vibrant suburb of Matola. However, he arrived more than four hours late, missing his 7:00 PM slot entirely. His absence caused disappointment among fans and chaos backstage.
According to a voice recording shared by the event organiser via Maphepha Ndaba, the artist showed up at 11:43 PM, long after the scheduled time and in the middle of discussions about his no-show.
“He was supposed to perform at 7 PM,” the organiser explained. “But he only arrived after 11. In that moment, while we were trying to understand why he was so late, he disrespected us—texting on his phone, vaping, and laughing while we were addressing him.”
Frustrated by what they described as a blatant lack of professionalism, the organisers decided to involve the authorities.
“He had the audacity to act like nothing was wrong. That was a big disrespect. So, we decided to take him to the nearest police station so they could question him,” the organiser added.
A video of Maphuma inside a police holding cell later surfaced on social media, shared by Mz Magazine News, with the caption: “Scotts Maphuma é levado a esquadra por não ter chegado a tempo de actuar” — which translates to “Scotts Maphuma is taken to the police station for not arriving on time to perform.”
In response to the growing backlash, Maphuma went live on Instagram to defend himself and offer an apology. He claimed that there had been miscommunication regarding the date and time of the event and denied intentionally missing the show.
“It was never my intention to let anyone down,” he said. “I misunderstood the schedule, and I’m sorry. I was treated like a criminal in a foreign country. I didn’t refuse to perform—I just wanted clarity.”
He also alleged that he was pressured into signing documents he didn’t fully understand while in Mozambique, and expressed hope that no other artists would experience what he went through.
Despite Maphuma’s explanation, the organiser stood by their decision to involve the police, insisting that respect and professionalism are non-negotiable.
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