Palesa Phinda, the businesswoman behind Midnight Oasis in Wepener, Free State, is demanding a refund from popular Skeem Saam actor and DJ, Patrick Seleka, better known as DJ Khathapila. Seleka, who portrays Katlego Peterson on the hit SABC1 drama, is facing backlash for allegedly arriving late and intoxicated for a scheduled DJ performance at Palesa’s establishment on Sunday, 20 April.
According to Palesa, she paid Patrick R9,000 for his appearance and an additional R1,000 for accommodation. The actor was initially booked to stay at a local bed and breakfast, but reportedly complained that the single beds were too small for himself and his girlfriends. As a result, he was relocated to a guesthouse to better meet his demands.
Although Seleka was set to perform between 1:00 AM and 2:00 AM, Palesa claims he only arrived at 1:45 AM. She further alleges that he appeared intoxicated and showed up with a group of local women, whom she believes he had been drinking with all day. These women, according to Palesa, caused disruption in the VIP section and disrespected her when she asked them to leave the reserved area.
She also accuses Seleka of unprofessional behavior on stage, saying he attempted to take over the set forcefully, trying to stop the DJ who was already performing. “He insisted on performing by force, claiming the club was full because of him,” Palesa stated.
Despite her efforts to manage the situation, Palesa ultimately instructed her staff to stop Seleka from performing, citing his lateness and lack of communication. She maintains that, as the headliner, he should have coordinated properly or waited for other DJs to finish. Instead, he allegedly acted on impulse and disrespected the event’s structure.
Palesa is now demanding a full refund, arguing that Patrick failed to fulfill his performance obligations. She claims that after confronting him, he responded via voice note, angrily stating that she would not get her money back and that she could “do whatever she wanted” because he would not refund her a cent.
The incident has left Palesa feeling disrespected and disappointed, both personally and professionally. She says she trusted Seleka as a public figure and expected a level of professionalism that was not delivered.
Free State World reached out to Patrick Seleka via WhatsApp to get his side of the story and offer him a chance to respond. However, he did not reply by the time this article was published.
The situation has raised concerns about professionalism among celebrities and the importance of holding public figures accountable when contracted for paid services.