Swangz Avenue co-founder Benon Mugumbya has addressed growing speculation surrounding singer Zafaran’s departure from the record label, insisting the split was a mutual business decision and not the fallout many have portrayed it to be.
Zafaran announced on 25 June 2026 that she had ended her four-year relationship with Swangz Avenue, having joined the label in March 2022. In a statement shared on social media, she described the separation as amicable.
However, questions quickly emerged after the singer rebranded herself as Zafar and launched a new YouTube channel, prompting speculation that she had been forced to abandon her former stage name and online platforms.
Speaking in a video posted on social media, Mugumbya dismissed those claims, saying the partnership simply reached a point where it no longer made business sense for either side.
According to him, Swangz Avenue and the singer mutually agreed to end their working relationship after reviewing their business arrangement, stressing that such decisions are common in the music industry.
“We had to make the difficult decision to end our partnership with Zafaran. It was purely a business decision, nothing dramatic. In this industry, you constantly evaluate whether a partnership is still working, and that’s exactly what we did,” he said.
Mugumbya explained that the label had intended to issue a joint statement but delayed doing so because of existing contractual obligations with a European promoter.
He also clarified reports suggesting Swangz Avenue had blocked the singer from using her stage name or retaining her digital platforms.
He said Zafaran’s public statement and subsequent interviews created the impression that the label had prevented her from continuing with her brand, something he insists was never the case.
“The matter has now been resolved, and we are in the process of handing everything over. Nobody stopped her from using her name. The situation has been exaggerated by some bloggers,” he said.
Mugumbya added that there is no bad blood between the two parties and pledged that Swangz Avenue would continue supporting the singer despite the end of their professional relationship.
He praised Zafaran as one of the industry’s most disciplined artistes and said the label remains confident in her talent and future success.
“It’s all business. We still believe in her talent, we respect her, and we wish her nothing but the best. There is no drama,” he said.
