The Minister of Arts and Culture, Ms Lulu Xingwana, today met Dr Danny Jordaan, CEO of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) and other LOC officials to discuss concerns around the dearth of South African and African artists participating in the FIFA 10 June concert at Orlando Stadium.
Representatives of concerned artists who also attended the meeting included the president and secretary general of the Creative Workers Union of South Africa (CWUSA), Mr Mabutho Sithole and Mr Oupa Lebogo respectively, as well as Mr Don Laka and Ms Florence Masebe.
Minister Xingwana told the meeting that the artistic programme for the 2010 World Cup should reflect an African and South African identity and that South Africans had taken on this task with the view of showcasing arts and culture in the country and on the continent to the world.
CWUSA expressed their concerns that the artists’ line-up announced for the 10 June concert at Orlando Stadium should have more representation of South African and African artists. Minister Xingwana also indicated that she shared artists’ concerns that there needed to be more South African and African artists at the 10 June concert.
The CEO of the LOC, Dr Danny Jordaan, also shared the view that the arts and culture programme for the 2010 World Cup should project an African experience to the world. Dr Jordaan indicated that it would be important to take the concerns of artists further with FIFA and the organisers.
Dr Jordaan immediately requested a meeting with FIFA and the concert organisers. The meeting is scheduled to happen within two weeks time.
The Ministry of Arts and Culture and the union will be part of this meeting to discuss the 10 June line-up.
Until such time as the meeting will take place, Dr Jordaan got the undertaking from FIFA that no further announcements on the artists’ line-up for the 10 June concert will be made.
The President of CWUSA, Mr Mabutho Sithole, expressed his satisfaction with the processes to be followed and thanked Minister Xingwana and Dr Jordaan for their concerns about the matter.
Enquiries:
Lisa Combrinck
Cell: 082 821 4886
Sipiwo Matshoba
Cell: 082 939 3798
Issued by: Department of Arts and Culture
1 April 2010
