Sallam SK ‘Mendes,’ renowned as Diamond Platnumz’s most trusted manager, is grappling with losses amounting to millions of shillings after a fire engulfed his newly established radio station, Mjini FM.
The radio station, launched just a year ago in December 2022 to compete with other prominent stations in Dar es Salaam, including Diamond’s Wasafi FM, was completely consumed by flames five days ago.
Not a single piece of equipment, not even a microphone from the expensive setup, could be salvaged.
The fire, which broke out in the early hours of last Friday, according to Dar es Salaam’s fire chief Inspector Kulwa Nzelekela, affected only the studio within the building housing the radio station.
While speculation arose about a possible sinister motive behind the incident, Sallam SK, the Managing Director of the station, dispelled such claims. He issued a statement asserting that investigations had commenced to determine the exact cause of the fire.
It’s noteworthy that in 2022, reports circulated about an alleged rift between Diamond and Sallam, with the launch of Mjini FM mentioned as a contributing factor.
During that time, Diamond and Sallam, who had been inseparable for over a decade, had not been seen together for nearly four months – an unusual and unlikely occurrence.
Sallam, described as crucial to the successes of Diamond’s music career and business empire, was notably absent from all essential functions and events hosted by Diamond during that period. Notably, he missed Diamond’s grand ceremony when the artist expanded the reach of Wasafi Media to Zanzibar.
The reported fallout was linked to Sallam’s similar move to expand his media enterprise with the launch of Mjini FM, adding to his existing portfolio, including the popular entertainment blog Dizzim Online.
Sallam vehemently dismissed the claims, stating that not being seen publicly with Diamond didn’t signify a lack of communication.
“Diamond and I are very close; we don’t have to hang out together every other time. He is a businessman, and so am I. We are always busy. The public not seeing us together doesn’t mean we don’t communicate; we do that all the time,” clarified Sallam.
Regarding claims that Diamond was upset about his idea to launch a competing station, Sallam promptly dispelled that notion.
“The idea of Diamond to launch his Wasafi TV and Wasafi FM originated from my initial venture when I started Dizzim Online, so I don’t think that should be an issue.”
Sallam emphasised that the reason for his absence from public appearances with Diamond during that period was due to his dedicated focus on setting up the station.
The capital-intensive undertaking required significant time and attention, prompting him to step back slightly from his Diamond management duties.ck from his Diamond management duties.
