Lineo Sekeleoane Named as Film Repayment Dispute Continues in Court

A legal and financial dispute linked to the romantic comedy My Zulu Wedding is continuing years after the film’s release, with Brand Contract Consultants Ltd filing documents against Luju Pictures and Productions in the Johannesburg High Court. The funders say they advanced more than R1.7 million toward making the film and have not received the repayment they say was agreed. According to the account, Luju Pictures and Productions initially disputed liability, citing the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on the movie’s launch. Brand Contract says the production company undertook to repay the loan in instalments while awaiting the film’s release, with the remaining amount due after the premiere. An unnamed insider told ZiMoja that only two payments were made: R162,000 in August 2016 and R100,000 in September 2018. The source said the original arrangement was for the R1.73 million to be repaid with interest after the film was released. My Zulu Wedding reached cinemas in October 2019, starring Kelly Khumalo, Nondumiso Tembe, Pallance Dladla, Darin Henson and Kgomotso Christopher. The funders’ claim says repayment was requested by the film’s creative producer, Lineo Sekeleoane, and that Luju Pictures and Productions did not make all the payments it had agreed to. Sekeleoane could not be reached for comment, the report said. The court filing marks another chapter in a dispute that reportedly began during production in 2017 and has continued long after the comedy’s premiere.