Thabang Garogwe accuses MYSC of exploitation
Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Tuesday July 25, 2023 06:00
In an interview with Showtime, Garogwe said he received a communiqué last week in which he was notified of the Mind Set Change Campaign events that were to be held in Goodhope, Digawana and Mmathethe.
He said though he was supposed to perform as a crowd puller, he was told he would be paid P2,500. “This defeats all efforts towards the campaign itself and all that President Mokgweetsi Masisi had been advocating that the artist be paid at least according to the MYSC range of standards where backtrack or CD was paid P10,000 and live band P25,000.
I am a live band artist and it is dismally not possible to deliver my obligations with what is being put on the table,” he said. Garogwe further explained that when he agreed to partake at the events, he believed the concerned office was aware that the government always pays artists very well and never for once would he have thought otherwise as he always got engaged and paid as such. He added that due to that matter, he did not perform at the event because he was informed about his payments a day before the events.
Additionally, he said he felt insulted that consultations were made with the MYSC where an appreciation fee set for him was P2,500, without discussing directly with him.
He stated that he thought it was paramount, procedural and honourable to have been approached before any step regarding his availability on the planned date, suitability of the events to his reputation and payment plan. “It is not for the government to fix rates for us regardless of whether they see us as poverty stricken and desperate whatsoever; our integrity stands amidst it all.
I have never seen any of them dictating the price of sugar at their friend’s countrywide chain supermarket so why is it the case when it comes to the creative industry? As local artists affiliated to BOMU, we must through the same BOMU call on our membership and whoever is out there never to agree to these peanut payments,” he said.
In an interview with Botswana Musicians Union (BOMU) secretary-general, Rasina Rasina, he said BOMU was aware of Garogwe’s grievances regarding the pay structure particularly with regard to government departments. Rasina added that that matter extended to State owned enterprises and private companies, particularly those that had a moral obligation to do the right thing within the nation they trade with and make profits from.
He said BOMU had been crying for many years on the issue of performance fees.
Though they were making progress in many areas, he said they found it painful that on the issue of remunerations, they took one step forward and one step back. Rasina added that their view was that that could only be achieved through sychronising efforts, ideas and policies that are scattered around government Ministries. He said they have regular interactions with MYSC.
“We cannot therefore spend all hours shop talking without practice and it is our hope that officers within the government departments will change their mindsets as appropriate to appreciate that we can’t be paying a performing artist P2,500.00 in this era. One day of a rehearsal for a show costs more than P2,500.00 and hence illogical to find an artist being offered a P2,500.00 fee,” he said.