By Rorisang Modiba
The record producer and businessman Mthokozisi “DJ Tira” Khathi has been accused of rape by singer Luke Ntombela, who claimed in a radio interview and on social media that he violated her after she woke up drunk next to him.
Tira, who owns the Afrotainment music label, denies the allegations.
Following her accusations and an interview on Ukhozi FM, Luke, a former Idols SA contestant, shared screenshots of messages allegedly showing her negotiating with the DJ for payment to keep the incident private.
Tira has since sent Luke a cease and desist letter through his lawyers, accusing her of damaging his reputation with the “defamatory” claims on social media.
Tira has asked the singer to apologise and retract her statements on the same platforms she used, including another radio interview. He gave her seven days to do this and warned that he would take legal action to protect his brand if she didn’t comply.
Luke shared the legal notice on her social platforms.
Tira’s wife, Gugu Khathi, defended the DJ in an interview with TshisaLIVE, describing him as a family man.
She clarified that the dispute with Luke was over royalties, saying that their label, Afrotainment, is prepared to pay her for her work. Still, she demands additional compensation for stress, which they find unjustified.
Thieves targeted an Afrotainment recording studio in Durban a few weeks ago, stealing specialised musical equipment.
According to Tira, items taken included monitors, keyboards, microphones, digital mixers, and hard drives containing unreleased music tracks. He offered R20,000 to anyone who knows anything about the incident.
Pictured above: DJ Tira and Luke Ntombela.
Image source: X
