The highly anticipated grand opening of Ndlala Mall in Arcadia, Pretoria, has been postponed after American R&B singer Tank pulled out of the event due to a business disagreement. The mall’s opening was originally set for this past weekend but will now take place next month.
The mall is owned by businessman Thami Ndlala, who is married to popular South African TV and radio personality Lerato Kganyago. The opening was set to be a star-studded affair, featuring live performances at the new Ndlala Arena—a 550-seat venue inside the mall. South African singer Zonke was also expected to take the stage.
Tank, the 49-year-old R&B star known for hits like When We, was meant to headline the two-day celebration. However, things changed when he announced earlier in the week that he would not be making the trip to South Africa.
In a video shared on Instagram, Tank addressed his fans and shared his disappointment.
“As much as I was looking forward to coming out there and performing for you guys, it’s been over ten years [and] I was super excited,” he said.
“Some things have fallen apart business-wise that are going to prevent me from fulfilling my obligations to you. I firstly want to apologise to you, the fans, and all the people who were making plans to pull up and enjoy this R&B music. Hopefully, things can be resolved and preferably I can get up there.”
According to SowetanLIVE, following Tank’s cancellation, a press statement was released on Wednesday night, confirming the delay.
“The grand opening of the Ndlala Mall has been postponed to the 23rd of August with a banging new line-up to be announced soon,” the statement read.
“Tank is unable to make it to SA as something has fallen apart business-wise, which is going to keep him from fulfilling his obligation. The new date is set for August 23 to allow necessary arrangements for the new act. The artists will be announced by next week, and the plans to launch the mall are going ahead as planned.”
Despite the setback, excitement remains high for the new mall’s grand launch, now set for August 23, with promises of a refreshed and exciting artist line-up.
