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Danisa Masuku—
THE Director of Thandanani women ensemble, Ellen Mlangeni, has pulled out of the group amid leadership squabbles. Mlangeni said she had tendered her resignation after a member of the group, Florence Sithole, tried several times to unseat her from her position. “I decided to pull out not because I wanted to but I was forced by the situation. Florence Sithole influenced other members not to take any advice from me and accused me of being too harsh and self-centred,” she said.
“When we were performing at a wedding she influenced other members not to take any advice from me when I suggested that we change the attire to suit the dress code of the wedding.” Mlangeni said a meeting was held on Friday to review their performance the previous year and all members turned the heat on her.
“When we were assessing how we fared in 2015, I was shocked to realise that I was the main topic of discussion. To my surprise, all members led by Florence Sithole started asking me why I objected to the idea of using dance regalia instead of a dress at a wedding.
‘‘The meeting became tense as I was accused by every member. I became emotional and cried. On February 5 I tendered my resignation letter,” she said. Mlangeni has gone solo and formed her own group called Umagogo emkulwini.
Contacted for a comment, the new leader of the group, Florence Sithole, denied the accusations. “What I can tell you as a group is that we were reviewing how we performed in 2015 and we were shocked when Mlangeni gave us a letter of resignation. She didn’t say a word; she just left,” said Sithole.
This is not the first time for Thandanani women ensemble to split over leadership squabbles. At the end of 2012, a former Director, Muchaneta Dube, pulled out and formed her group Iluba lemvelo.
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter