The exhibition match dubbed the ‘The Real Fight Against GBV’, an initiative of Gilbert Promotions was launched at Molapo Piaza on Monday in the presence of the Minister of Nationality, Immigration and Gender Affairs, Annah Mokgethi and some of the creative industry players. Known for producing hits after hits throughout their long musical careers, Franco and Dr Vom have decided to shift focus temporarily and use their influence to tackle societal issues. Although it is not the first time the idea to get the two into a boxing ring arises as the original one dates back to 2017, promoter Gilbert Seagile said they have been looking at a better way of packaging and aligning it to a good cause and make it meaningful and attractive.
And with GBV being a very serious concern in the country, they decided they could use the exhibition match to raise awareness about the issue. He said the two artists were an easy pick looking at their fan base as well as their status in the industry. Franco is a kwasa kwasa veteran with 17 albums under his belt while Dr Vom, popularly known for his classic hit Tsaya Thobane, has also been in the industry for a long time. He said with reports of rising cases of GBV during the initial COVID-19 lockdown, he decided that they will host a festival that will raise awareness against GBV. However, they decided against the hosting of a music festival as they thought it would not have the same impact and grab as a celebrity-boxing match. “The two are well known artists. But there are also stories about them helping their bouncers during their shows to fight unruly revellers at the entrance. Dr Vom has a story about him fighting for over two hours on a train. Looking at these stories, I then said let’s set up this fight between the two but with a purpose,” said Seagile. He also said the two artists’ followers are the right audience for their campaign. He stated that they have partnered with Access TV to produce a reality GBV show as well as Btv. Other partners include Bond Boxing Promotions, Gender Affairs and Molapo Piazza.
