Creative Workers Union cries foul over festival

MBOMBELA – The Creative Workers Union of South Africa (CWUSA) has cried foul over being allegedly sidelined in the organisation of the Mpumalanga Arts and Cultural Experience, which will take place at Mbombela Stadium from December 1 to 4.

Provincial secretary, Mr Alpheus Nhlabathi, has condemned the event.

“This festival will not sustain, instead it will disappear just like the Macfest if some of the officials don’t stop misleading the MEC, Ms Norah Mahlangu-Mabena. Even the launch was a disgrace, poorly organised and you think people can waste their time, money and come in numbers to the event. I doubt it. If possible, they must relaunch it before Mpumalanga becomes a laughing stock by hosting a disgraceful festival,” said Nhlabathi.

He said the department was doing the same thing that destroyed Macfest because people of the province were not taking ownership of proceedings.

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“Relevant people were left out. Even myself, I was part of the people who also initiated such a project, but I did not get an invitation. I heard from people around and I decided to go past the stadium to see whether it was true or not. I couldn’t believe my eyes with what I saw, it was poorly organised. They launched it as if they were rushing somewhere. Those individuals are destroying the talent of young people and tarnishing the image of the province. Even now, we don’t even know what is going on concerning the festival,” he said.
CWUSA has submitted a letter of demand to Mahlangu-Mabena.

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“For the record, we are demanding recognition and credit should got to CWUSA for its effort. It is an open secret that we stood up to demand the festival for the past six years after Macfest was suspended and indeed it was not an easy journey for us, but today we are not recognised and invited,” he ended.