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OVER 2 000 GET TESTED JUST TO SEE UHURU

21/07/2014 08:43:00 BY KWAZI MASUKU

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MANZINI – Fans react to South Africa’s award-winning kwaito group Uhuru’s performance during PSI’s Men’s Health in one Rhythm Show held at Mavuso Trade and Exhibition Centre on Saturday. SEE PAGES 29, 30 & 31 (Pics: Kwazi Masuku)

MANZINI – South African award-winning group Uhuru indirectly forced over 2 000 Swazis to undergo HIV/AIDS blood tests.
This was through the PSI’s Men’s Health in one Rhythm show held at the Mavuso Trade and Exhibition Centre on Saturday.

This was the main event following regional road- shows that were hosted so as to sensitise the nation about Men’s Health.
Through these mini-shows, people were given the platform to undergo the test which carried the token of gaining free entry to the main show. Information gathered was that from these roadshows, over 800 people got tested mostly being teenagers.

The brainchild of this initiative should be regarded as a hero for pulling it through considering the stigma that goes with taking such a test.
At least as we speak, over 2 000 citizens now know their status and, paramount, it’s the youth which is a good omen for the future.

The show started as early as 8am and local performers curtain-raised for the guest group from South Africa. These included Cece, Crooks, MasterP, MBO, Paris, Pelepele, KrTC, Kangaroo and Chakalaka.
It was humbling to see how the audience responded to performances from the locals as they screamed throughout their performances.

Intervene

Security had to intervene by the time KrTC and Kangaroo took to the dance floor to perform the track ‘Amen’. In all the shows where the track has been performed, it has really taken fun lovers by storm, the recent being the MTN BUSHFIRE Festival.
Fun lovers started filling up the venue after lunch as most of them had to take more time queuing up for the testing. Moreover, some just wanted to be sure if Uhuru was indeed coming to perform or if it was just a way to get them to do the test. By 2pm the group arrived, thus the hall started packing up.

Since it was a show about health, it was inevitable that the organisers would ban the selling of alcohol during the show although a handful managed to sneak in a few bottles which was easily dealt with by the security personnel from Kwekwe Security Company.

Credit should also go to the award-winning Uhuru for a great 45-minute performance. No wonder the MC of the day, ‘Bobo’, was heard saying: “This is the shortest 45-minutes of my life.”

The track ‘Y-tjukutja’ as expected, was on demand but in a nutshell, in terms of their showing, the crowd just loved each and every track the group performed.

The group’s members were also friendly to the fans as they took time to pose for pictures with them.

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Comments (1 posted):

Martin Friedlander. on 21/07/2014 17:30:58

As soon as I read on the internet: "Please Defend PM from Political Attacks - Joy," I knew I was going to respond. Why is she not privately telling her husband that imprisoning people for their thoughts is wrong. I cannot sit idly by in Canada and not be concerned about what happens in Swaziland, simply because injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Joy should know that we are all caught up in an inescapable network of mutuality, and tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all of us indirectly. It is a shame that she deplores the political attacks and critics leveled against her husband, but her statement, I am sorry to say, fails to express a similar concern for the conditions that brought about the so called attacks and critics. I am sure that she would not want to rest content with the superficial kind of social analysis that deals merely with effects and does not grapple with underlying causes. It is unfortunate that she now feels that her husband is politically attacked and criticized, but it is even more regrettable that he left his opponents with no alternative. Journalist Bheki Makhubu, Human Rights Lawyer Thulani Maseko and the many prisoners of conscience are tortured for non-violent causes. The prime minister's wife cannot deny the fact that injustice engulfs the country. Swaziland’s ugly record of brutality has reverberated around the world. Here in Canada and elsewhere there is an awareness that the people of Swaziland on a continuous basis experience grossly unjust treatment in the courts. This prime minister's wife is duty bound to bare these hard, brutal facts to her husband. I am sure even Joy is aware of the fact that the political opponents she lambasts had on numerous occasions sought to negotiate, but the likes of her husband consistently refused to engage in good faith. We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. Why are we not surprised that the prime minister's wife never raised a murmur of protest at the inhumane and endless trial of the journalist and human rights lawyer. We have come to see eye to eye with one of our distinguished jurists, that "justice too long delayed is justice denied."

Martin Friedlander. Ontario. Canada.