Khuzani Mpungose’s song Ijele won the 2020 song of the year competition on Ukhozi FM with close to a million votes.
A number of people on social media are not happy following the unexpected outcome of Ukhozi FM’s 2020 song of the year competition. Judging by the comments on Twitter and Facebook, many people expected Big Zulu’s popular song Mali Eningi to be the number one song of 2020. However, amabhinca (Maskandi fans) said no.
The competition was won by popular Maskandi artist Khuzani Mpungose with his song Ijele, which received a whopping 957 950 votes, despite being released close to the end of the year. The song received 252 301 more votes than all the other nine songs in the top ten combined and 645 899 more votes than Indlabeyiphika’s Amageja, which took second place. Indlabeyiphika is a Maskandi group owned by Khuzani’s arch-rival Mthandeni Manqele.
Big Zulu’s Mali Eningi, whose popularity skyrocketed after the song was featured in the Duduzane Challenge, received 213 378 votes.
Here is a full list of the songs that were in the top 10 and the number of votes each song received:
| Song | Number of votes |
| 10. Your love by Azana | 4 474 |
| 9. Amanikikiki by MFT Souls ft Major League DJZ, Kamo Mphela & Bontle Smith | 5 698 |
| 8. Empini by Kelly Khumalo | 9 584 |
| 7. Uthando by Soa Mattrix ft Shaun 101 & Soulful G | 16 087 |
| 6. John Vuli Gate by Mapara A Jazz ft Ntosh Gazi & Colano | 27 803 |
| 5. Festive by DJ Hlo | 45 109 |
| 4. Xola Moya Wami by Nomcebo Zikode ft Master KG | 71 465 |
| 3. Mali Eningi by Big Zulu ft Riky Rick & Intaba YaseDubai | 213 378 |
| 2. Amageja by Indlabeyiphika | 312 051 |
| 1. Ijele by Khuzani ft Luve Dubazane | 957 950 |
As Ukhozi FM shared live updates of the top ten countdown on its social media pages, some angry listeners threatened to stop listening to the station, blaming it for becoming a regional station which caters for KZN’s Maskandi music lovers while it has listeners from other parts of the country who prefer other music genres.
Last year Ukhozi FM received the same negative reaction when Ntencane’s wawuthembeni, another Maskandi song, took the crown for best song of 2019, beating DJ Zinhle’s Umlilo and Master KG’s global hit Jerusalema.
No 3: BigZulu ft Ricky Rick and Dubai – Imali Eningi 213387 votes #UkhoziFMNYE2020
— Ukhozi FM Official (@ukhozi_fm) December 31, 2020
No 2: Indlabeyiphika – Amageja 312051 #UkhoziFMNYE2020
— Ukhozi FM Official (@ukhozi_fm) December 31, 2020
No 1: Khuzani – Ijele 957950 votes #Ukhozi
— Ukhozi FM Official (@ukhozi_fm) December 31, 2020
Ayikho lento yoKhozi. It’s a money-making scam. I would have been happy with Big Zulu Mali eningi or Nomcebo Xola Moya wami winning this thing.
Cha ayinkinga amabhinca ngiyawavuma. I’ll never waste my money voting again if there is a Maskandi song in the top 10.
Nomcebo was supposed to win, ayiyekwe lento or umaskandi ube neyawo itop 10