Online Reporter
Blessed Katiyo in JOHANNESBURG
A NUMBER of Zimbabwean musicians were dropped from the line-up of musicians who performed at a gig in Venda at the weekend.
This followed threats by some locals in Limpopo to disrupt the show in retaliation to how their idol Makhadzi was dropped from the Cheso Power Festival in Harare in July.
The same fate also befell Mafikizolo, who were removed from the Buddie Beatz concert line-up, amid an outcry in Zimbabwe.
Musa Keys was also dropped from the Mighty Zambezi Bonfire.
The Divhazwakale Music Festival is one of the biggest gigs held in the Limpopo province and the organisers had roped in some Zimbabwean artists to be part of the show.
It was held on Saturday at Gebs Park in Muswodi, about 65kms north of Thohoyandou and 78kms from the Musina Border Post.
The initial poster had a number of Zimbabwean artists, including Franco Slomo, Mark Ngwazi, Jacob Moyana and Simon Mutambi.
Following the threats, the organisers removed virtually all the Zimbabwean artists.
They published a new line-up made up of only South African artists.
“The threats were just too much as there were groups of people who came to the organisers saying they were actually paid to disrupt if the organisers went ahead with the Zimbabweans,” said a source.
“It is just sad that the arts are now suffering because of the actions of a few malcontents.”
However, songstress and dancer, Shantel Mwana, who is based here in Johannesburg, was part of the show.
“I have heard about the freezing out of some of the Zimbabwean artists. It’s quite sad,” she said.
“It would have been nicer to have a bigger team from home to be part of this.
“I was invited to perform as a guest artist.”
The Takazvizama hitmaker has been holding shows in South Africa and Botswana. She has been working on an EP that is dropping within the next few weeks.
