The famous statue of Brenda Fassie which once greeted guests at the entrance of Bassline in Johannesburg has disappeared and Ntsiki Mazwai is demanding answers.
Of all the statues to remove from Johannesburg (and there are a fair few!), why would you come after MaBrr? That's the question that dozens of critics are asking on social media after the iconic statue disappeared from Newtown Johannesburg this week.
Twitter embed
The move, which took many by surprise, was done with little warning or explanation and the singer's biggest fans quickly demanded answers once they caught wind of the fact that it had been removed. A thoroughly upset Ntsiki Mazwai lamented the move on Twitter where she wrote:
"Guys CITY Of JOBURG is taking down the Brenda Fassie statue....not Verwoerd, not Smuts, not Rhodes ... our Brenda Fassie"
She even went as far as tagging the official City of Johannesburg Twitter account when she said:
Twitter embed
Just before a riot was about to break out, The City of Johannesburg responded by updating Brenda fans with information about why the statue was being removed. As it turns out, the removal is strictly for repair purposes.
A city spokesperson revealed that, due to some vandalism, the statue was undergoing a few touch ups before making its return to the city. Ntathisi Modingoane said:
"The statue had suffered some minor vandalism. We thought as the department of arts and culture to remove it and take it into the studio for refurbishment as part of retaining the public art. Indications are that some people would like to see it in busy places like the Market Theatre and Joburg Theatre in Braamfontein, but we do not want to pre-empt that process."
A further update from the City of Johannesburg has confirmed that the Brenda Fassie Statue WILL be returning to Newtown once repairs are done:
Twitter embed
Despite this, some still feel as if the statute should return to Bassline where it served such an important purpose as a figurehead for one of the biggest music venues in the country.
Do you think the Brenda Statue should have been moved at all? Leave us your thoughts in the comments section below!
