The call was first made last Thursday when artists and members of the creative sector in KwaZulu-Natal blocked the N3 in Durban and staged a mini-concert.
A group of artists and entertainers blocked the roadway earlier and staged a mini-concert on the N3 in KZN on Wednesday, 2 September 2020. Picture: Screengrab/Twitter video
JOHANNESBURG – Grammy-award winning Ladysmith Black Mambazo has joined calls for the lockdown regulations to be eased to benefit the creative sector.
The call was first made last Thursday when artists and members of the creative sector in KwaZulu-Natal blocked the N3 in Durban and staged a mini-concert.
They called for venues to be allowed to accommodate about 70% of their usual capacity and for the curfew to be extended to 2 am.
Thirty-two people were arrested and charged with contravening the Road Traffic Management Act and gathering illegally.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo manager Xolani Majozi said calls by the creative sector were legitimate.
“It’s an important call to make to the president to consider to opening the theatres and the production companies, events so that they will be able to make an income.”
Majozi said the lockdown has had a negative impact on their plans for this year.
“We had to cancel the US tour because the lockdown was effective from 24 March and the tour was on its last two weeks in the UK. So, we had to cancel nine shows and since then, we hadn’t been working.”
Meanwhile, the case against 32 people arrested last week has been postponed to 23 October for the National Prosecuting Authority to decide on whether it wants to proceed with the charges.
