A newspaper report that tied a top band to an audience uprising got it hopelessly wrong, reports MARIA McCLOY
WHILE one edition of the Sunday Times (the one aimed at the paler natives) last weekend led with a story and picture detailing the recovery of the South African Everest expedition photographer Bruce Herrod’s camera and last photographs, the City Metro edition’s headline was something altogether different.
“Boom Shaka Riot” it blared in large, bold print. The accompanying article stated that, after a Boom Shaka concert in Estcourt, drunken members of the audience went on a looting rampage through the town. Reporter Prega Govender wrote that more than 100 shop windows were smashed, that several shops were looted and that two men were shot in the legs by a store owner.
While some of this may well have gone down and has been confirmed by the event organiser, James Ngwenya, what the paper’s reporter seems to have overlooked is that Boom Shaka, a leading group with the Kalawa record label, were not billed on the concert and that they did not appear at the Estcourt Town Hall as claimed. The acts that did, in fact, take the stage were all from Arthur’s 999 record company. These included another famous kwaito act Abashante, along with Arthur, New Skool and Makhendlas.
No one was more surprised to read the article on Sunday than the people at Kalawa Records. This week, head of Kalawa, Don Laka, said that he was consulting lawyers over the report. He accuses the Sunday Times of “false reporting” which, he adds, insinuates that Boom Shaka had something to do with inciting the “riot”. Their reputation, he insists, has been “tarnished” by sloppy journalism. “It’s unfair on Boom Shaka; on their career,” he says.
Laka adds that there has been a history of promoters advertising that certain acts would be performing at bashes when, in fact, the artists in question had not yet confirmed their appearances. When artists have been falsely advertised and then don’t materialise, mayhem ensues. He thought this may have lead to the confusion in the Sunday Times story, but finds it puzzling that the report did not mention the name of a promoter or an organiser.
Govender, the journalist who wrote the piece, said this week: “We were given the information by two people in the area, who mentioned four bands playing.” He says he was told that Boom Shaka and Arthur were on the line-up. He heard of the story on the day of his deadline, and says he could not get hold of the organisers. He did, however, speak to the Town Secretary Johaan Vermaak (who this week provided the Mail & Guardian with Ngwenya’s name and number).
Ngwenya says that the root of the violence was because the crowds had had too much to drink. A 999 employee, on the other hand, said that there had apparently not been a concert in Estcourt in over five years and that the event gave thugs an opportunity to run wild.
“Listening to music, drinking alcohol and probably smoking dagga, maybe made them go a bit bonkers,” said Captain John Dewing of the Estcourt police service, adding that the main problem was that the organisers did not have sufficient security at the event.
According to Dewing there were about 2 500 people at the concert, of which about 300 people were involved in the looting of 11 shops and the damaging of four others. Two people were shot and arrested by the police and will face charges of public violence. The police are still investigating and looking to arrest more people. Laka, on the other hand, will be seeing if Boom Shaka’s reputation has been sufficiently damaged by the report to warrant legal action.