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Dressed in all black, the artists held up placards that read “#Vula Asinamali”, “#70 Capacity in all events”, and “#Vula President”. (Instagram/ Sifiso Kalinjani Mdunge)
- On the morning of 2 September 2020, Durban based music artists gathered to protest against lockdown regulations.
- On their list of demands artists have asked for the curfew to be extended to 12am, increasing crowd capacity to 70% and a call for local radio stations to only play local music.
- In an attempt to disperse crowds, police officers used stun grenades and rubber bullets.
Durban based music artists have gathered to protest against lockdown regulations that limit the number of patrons allowed at the venues where they perform.
To make their message known the artists blocked both sides of the N3 highway where they set up a mobile stage.
While nightclubs remain closed under level 2 lockdown regulations, live performance venues such as pubs and bars are open with certain conditions in place. These include limiting the number of people present to 50 and a curfew of 10pm. Artists whose primary stream of income comes from live performances say they are not coping with the financial effect that lockdown regulations have subject them to.
Dressed in all black, the artists held up placards that read “#Vula Asinamali”, “#70 Capacity in all events”, and “#Vula President”.
While at the protest, DJ Cindo posted a video on Instagram where a venue owner took to the stage to make the artist’s demands known.
“We also contribute toward the country’s GDP… Who can live on R20 thousand,” said the venue owner.
On their list of demands are the following requests:
- Extend the lockdown curfew to 12am
- Extend the crowd capacity to 70%
- For SABC radio stations to only play local music so they can earn royalties
- For all patrons to sanitise and constantly be wearing masks
In his plea directed to President Cyril Ramaphosa the event owner went on to say:
By opening one event you allow me to hire a graphic designer to make a poster. The person who puts up the posters can also now earn an income. By opening one event you would make it possible for security guards and bouncers to earn an income. By opening one event you make it possible for the stage coordinator, the sound and light technicians can also earn a living.
He then added how public relations officers, marketers and event space owners can also benefit from the opening of nightclubs.
A few hours into the protest police officers arrived on the scene in an attempt to break up the crowd. In response to police presence the artists staged a sit-in on the N3. This was followed by officers using stun grenades and rubber bullets.
