Is this Africa's World Cup? Ask local musicians

LEKOPANYE MOOKETSI
Correspondent | Friday June 11, 2010 00:00

This is because other African countries, especially those neighbouring South Africa, are not going to benefit much from the World Cup. 

A music festival featuring international artists is being held at the Orlando Stadium today ahead of he official opening ceremony at Soccer City Stadium, also in Johannesburg tomorrow.

Botswana artists say they are disappointed that generally they will not have a stake in the world's biggest sports extravaganza being held on African soil for the first time. 

'If it is an African affair, neighbouring countries should have been allocated slots as far entertainment is  concerned,' said Socca Moruakgomo, the president of the Botswana Musicians Union (BOMU).

'It is a pity; you don't want to be left out when history is being made.  It is a shame that we will not exploit the opportunities in South Africa,' said Moruakgomo who is an accomplished Afro jazz artist. He feels that the Botswana government should have done something.

Moruakgomo said there is now nothing that their association can do.  'We needed a budget.  The eyes are now on South Africa.  There is nothing that we can do; it is already too late.'

He said activities should have been organised in South Africa.  He blamed the South Africans for excluding other African countries.  He said the South Africans felt and still feel 'it is their World Cup'. Another local artist, Ndingo Johwa does not see any reason why something was not done. 

'We knew the dates; so  we should have put up a World Cup festival here.  The technicians should have erected a large screen at the festival.  We should have done it ourselves rather crying that we were not invited,' he said.

Johwa said as long as the World Cup is hosted in the continent, Africans should be celebrating it.   He has come across local people flying the South African flags, which is healthy for African unity.  'We should also have done something to celebrate the World Cup,' he said.

Johwa is intending to travel to Durban to explore the World Cup opportunities before the tournament ends on July 11.'It is unfortunate that we are neighbours and we have a number of good musicians  but we have been left out,' decried local promoter, Shima Monageng. To him, the whole thing boils down to a lack of forward planning by the local organisers.

'I think enough has not been done, hence we are in this situation,' he said.   He said as a result of this lack of imagination, local artists are not going to benefit anything from the World Cup.

Monageng said deliberate efforts should have been made by the local organising committee. He feels the South African Department of Arts and their Local Organising Committee (LOC) headed by Danny Jordaan should have been invited here to watch local groups performing.   

'It is just like in football, you invite scouts to come and watch local talent.   As organisations dealing with music, there was also laxity on our part.  We should have pressurised government and other stakeholders.

 We should have come together with individual  musicians to map a way forward,' said Monageng who is also the publicity secretary of the Botswana Entertainment Promoters Association (BEPA).

'At times we will only blame government when we did not play our role.  Our failure was due to the fact that as Batswana we like to do our things at the last minute,' he added.

He recalled that two years ago, South African promoter Peter Tladi approached their association so that local musicians could perform in South Africa as a dress rehearsal to the World Cup.  He said this invitation was not taken seriously because there were still two more years before the actual event. Monageng said some music events should have been organised even locally targeting the World Cup. 

'We have lost on a lifetime opportunity.  It is unlikely that the World Cup will be held in Africa again in a short time, especially in the sub-Saharan region,' he said.

'I think this should be a wake up call.  We should plan in advance.  If the government is not supportive we must look for assistance from the private sector,' he said. 

Monageng is pessimistic about Botswana reaping World Cup spin-offs, as even big businesses are not going to gain anything.  He said those who were targeting the World Cup to make a killing will be disappointed because there have been no tourists visiting the country.

However, he said, there is life after the World Cup and valuable lessons have been learned.