Whites pull plug on 'black noise'

2003-06-22 12:07

Pietermaritzburg - Top South African musicians have launched a scathing attack on a "racist" Pietermaritzburg woman and two police officers who abruptly ended last Sunday's Moral Rejuvenation music festival after alleging that artists and revellers were making a noise, disturbing sleeping Comrades marathon runners.

The organisers of the festival, the South African National Civics Organisation (Sanco), are in the process of suing Pietermaritzburg resident Susan Ross-Watt, who led the police to the Scottsville race-course demanding that the concert end.

The hysterical Ross-Watt and two officers pulled out the plugs, inviting a wave of anger from revellers who had stayed on waiting to see Hugh Masekela and Ringo Madlingozi perform.

Angry festival attendants threw bottles and stones on to the stage forcing Masekela, Madlingozi, police officers and Susan-Watt to escape through the back door.

The two-day festival featured Ihhash'Elimhlophe, Phuzekhemisi, Joe Nina, Steve Kekana, Busi Mhlongo, Rebecca Malope and Mafikizolo among others.

"This woman has shown how disrespectful she was to all the people who attended this festival. It just shows clearly that some people are still racists," said Madlingozi.

Madlingozi said he had planned a one-and-a-half hour performance for his Pietermaritzburg fans but was asked to play only two songs.

"Even when I tried to play those two songs the audience did not respond and when I asked if they could hear me, I realised that they could not because someone had pulled the plug and I was only performing for people near me," said a disappointed Madlingozi.

Masekela's manager Tom Khanyile said the way the show was stopped was an "act of naked racism".

"We tried several times to convince Ross-Watt that the remaining artists (Masekela and Madlingozi) were going to perform only two songs each," said Khanyile.

He said whites "wanted to prove a point that they were still in charge", saying only one white lady and two white police officers stopped the show.

The festival was attended by more than 5 000 people. Ross-Watt said the show should not have been at the Scottsville racecourse because it's a residential area.

She denied she was being racist. She said black people must understand that whites still have problems with African festivals because they are "noisy".

"I feel sorry for blacks. I love Hugh Masekela and I have lots of black friends. It's just that whites don't understand black events because they are noisy," said Ross- Watt.

- City Press