Ndumiso Zungu withdraws from Best Song category over voting system failure

Gospel artist Ndumiso Zungu has withdrawn from the Best Song category at the 2026 Icebolethu Crown Gospel Music Awards, citing what his management describes as serious technical problems with the voting system.

In a statement, Zungu’s management said the decision followed ongoing difficulties with the artist’s voting code, which resulted in votes not being successfully processed.

The management team said the problem had been brought to the attention of the awards organisers, but was only addressed during the week, when it was too late to correct the impact on the voting process.

The Best Song category is determined solely through public votes, making the voting system central to the outcome.

Zungu’s management said the problem went beyond the limited number of votes allocated to each mobile number, claiming that the SMS voting code was not functional, leaving some supporters unable to vote.

The team said the situation compromised Zungu’s fair participation in the category and deprived his supporters of the opportunity to cast their votes.

“We therefore believe that these unresolved challenges have compromised our artist’s fair participation,” the management said.

The withdrawal is limited to the Best Song category.

Zungu remains nominated in the Best Intende category, according to his management team.

The artist’s team thanked his supporters for their votes and continued backing while explaining the decision to withdraw from the Best Song race.