The EFF have called on some of South Africa’s biggest stars to boycott the upcoming ANN7 South African of the Year Awards‚ claiming that the Gupta family are trying to ‘legitimise their criminal activities in South Africa’ by hosting the awards.
The statement comes a day after SATY organisers announced that US star Jennifer Lopez will be performing at the glitzy ceremony.
In the lengthy statement the EFF claimed that the controversial Gupta family had no “moral grounds on which to host” the event.
“The EFF notes that the criminal syndicate of the Guptas are still trying to legitimise their criminal activities in South Africa by hosting a seemingly innocent award ceremony celebrating achieved South Africans. We believe this criminal syndicate has no moral ground on which to host such an event when on the other hand they’re stealing billions from the coffers of the country‚” the statement read.
It further stated that participating in the award would “be legitimising a criminal entity” and would see participants stand as “morally accomplice to their criminal activities“.
It called on local celebrities involved with the ceremony to boycott the event in the same spirit as those who had boycotted the apartheid system.
“We call on all South Africans and Africans in general who have been nominated or are participating in this criminal event in one form or another to withdraw their participation with immediate effect. In the spirit of great artists of our time like Hugh Masekela‚ Letta Mbulu‚ Caiphus Semenya‚ Zakes Mokae‚ John Morapamaand Merriam Makeba who boycotted the Apartheid regime and actively contributed to the struggle that eventually led to the political emancipation in 1994.
“We call on Bonang Matheba‚ Somizi Mhlongo‚ Robert Marawa‚ Big Nuz and many others to show leadership in a time when the arts and culture space is lacking it and symbolically withdraw their participation from this criminal event‚” the statement read.
The EFF further stated that while it was an artist’s right to take part in any event‚ withdrawing from this particular one was in the “interest of the country“.
“The Guptas have no moral ground to tell us who the South African of the Year is when they have clearly shown the disrespect and disdain they have for this our beloved country. And to our fellow artists‚ South Africa is looking to you for leadership in this matter‚” the statement added.
-sowetanlive