Sthabiso Dladla and an official.
Photos by Jabulani Langa
KWAZULU-NATAL Premier Senzo Mchunu’s gala dinner with members of
the creative industry turned into chaos last week.
The dinner was held at the Coastland Ridge Hotel in Durban on
Thursday evening.
The chaos started when guests were made to endure four hours of
waiting as Mchunu was running late from a meeting in Cape Town.
The dinner was thrown further into disarray when L’vovo Derrango’s
manager, Sthabiso Dladla, stormed into the podium and rudely interrupted the
programme director, Siya Mhlongo.
This was after eThekwini mayor, James Nxumalo, had delivered his
welcome speech.
Sthabiso grabbed the microphone from Siya and said: “I know I’m not
in the programme but I want to tell you the mayor does nothing for
artists.”
The mayor’s bodyguards were forced to throw Sthabiso out of the
function.
As they marched him out, his crew including L’vovo, DJ Bongz, Sosha
and other artists followed him. They were cursing at the leadership.
“It’s time these leaders stop lying. Their time is up. Enough is
enough,” they shouted repeatedly.
Addressing the audience, Mchunu said: “I want you, artists from
KZN, to meet us as government halfway and tell us what we can do for you.”
Sthabiso said the incident was planned because they were not
treated well by the current leaders.
The premier’s office called the incident a disruptive behaviour.
