Durban artists together with musicians across the country are crying out for President Cyril Ramaphosa to open up the country since their livelihoods have been affected by the national lockdown caused by the Covid19 pandemic.
Taking to Instagram this morning to share videos from the strike, popular Durban based DJ, Tira posted under the hashtag #OperationVula and #VulaPresident. Several highways have been blocked and police have made their way there to calm the situation.
More and more professionals in the arts have since joined the moment and it has quickly gained momentum. Performer and businessman Zakes Bantwini has given a shoutout to KZN, North West, Mpumalanga, Eastern Cape, Western Cape, Northern Cape, Freestate a shout out for taking part in the strike and has called on creatives in Limpopo to join the movement.
Best-selling author and businesswoman, Jackie Phamotse has sent a direct tweet to the president, demanding that he re-opens the country as they are tired of being overlooked as artists.
"Dear Mr President Cyril Ramaphpsa, you seem not to care about the arts industry!" She tweeted. "We have not been catered for during this lockdown! If guns and teargas is the only way you handle our hunger than so be it! We are tired of being ostracized. Please open the country!"
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Weirdly enough, some tweeps are siding with the President for not opening the country as yet. Their excuse is that local musicians have been showing off their expensive lifestyles in the faces on normal citizens and now they must feel how it's like to be at the bottom of the barrel.
One tweep wrote, "A round of applause for Cyril Ramaphosa, he has turned SA artists into normal taxpaying citizens who go on strikes as well." And another said that their good days are over. "#VulaPresidentya ba nyesa tlala...They always trolling us with fancy clothes. Trips... and and and now baja masepa nou bo clever bofedile."
World-renowned South African DJ, Black Coffee has asked what have they done as creatives to be treated so badly. "What has our industry done to receive such vile treatment, we need your intervention Mr President." He tweeted.
Co-founder of Channel 0's Lockdown House Party DJ Shimza has slammed negative tweeps and tweeted, "Yes it’s entertainment for you but to artists, it’s their livelihood."
