The Nelson Mandela Bay Jazz on the Lake event held on Saturday 16 August in the grassed area between the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium and North End Lake promised to be a great relaxed event with good vibes.
Now, it is common knowledge that I, personally, am a great supporter of the Stadium and it’s current management under the Mandela Bay Development Agency.
It is also common knowledge that as a long time resident of Gqeberha (even longer when it was PE) I do not take kindly to people dissing our fair town. My position is clear – only residents have the right to be hyper critical of our town, after all we live and are 100% invested in Nelson Mandela Bay.
Yup, you guessed it – this is a criticism of the event in the hope that our City Fathers, Municipality and MBDA will take it in the spirit intended.
First warning sign: The Nelson Mandela Bay WhatsAPP media group was SLAUGHTERED with adverts for the event – at last count we saw it 33 times in our feed. Yes, I did get a bit miffed and expressed my chagrin only to be initially attacked personally and not engaged with as someone who really cares about making all facets of our City world class.
This personal attack seems to be the modus operandi these days – as you will see later…
Second Warning sign: On Tuesday afternoon the only sign of any preparation in the area was some guys laying cable and some other guys moving the barest skeleton of the stage further towards the Fettes Road side of the area. With 3 days to go I did think that the organisers were cutting it a bit fine.
Third warning sign: Thursday evening ‘sound check’ and NO MORE. My home overlooks the stadium and enjoys the dubious benefit of being an echo chamber if a mouse sneezes too loud outside the Stadium’s World of Windows!
Fourth warning sign: Scheduled to start at 12 midday on Saturday I dreaded having to lie in my sick bed until 1:00 am on Sunday listening to doof doof doof the whole night – BUT, it was quiet, dead quiet. So quiet in fact that I considered posting a HUGE thank you to the MBDA for being such good neighbours.
Fifth warning sign: The music became audible in my bedroom at around 8:00 pm and then the volume escalated in proportion to the amount of alcohol being drunk. Eventually the final crescendo started at 1:00 and and finished at 1:35 am – much to the relief of my windows. ears, dogs, children and cats.
Whilst all the above was going on my partner popped on and off of Group Sex for Amoebas (Facebook) looking for someone who could assist to turn the music volume down.
Now we get to the nub of my rant – Don’t confuse RESPECT with RACISM!
Apparently a resident posted on FB that the music was too loud and was then accused of being racist – an easy thing to ASSUME as most of the people on the hill are White.
Let’s be clear here: If the event was a Sokkie in Motherwell or Opera in Helenvale that was too loud then the complaints would be from those residents. The fact that they are mostly black or coloured would NOT make their complaining a RACISM thing but goes to RESPECT – respect for one’s fellow man and their right to stay in a neighbourhood free of noise, potholes, crime etc that the organisers of the SOKKIE or the OPERA should adhere to.
Word to the Amoebas on Facebook: Walk 50 meters in someone else’s shoes BEFORE attacking the man in the most divisive and panic inducing manner – the RACE CARD!
Here are some comments from the event – unfortunately overwhelmingly negative:
- Guys whoever hasn’t arrived should not hesitate what we are in here is bad, it’s a mess, it’s a mess, it’s being seen on top of people’s belongings, people are shaking, what I don’t know is I fear a massive fight looming is bad, event organizers poorly planned this event.
- Very bad. The thing about this event is not possible because it is no space sisi nyiki nyiki nje people abantuabafunu phaka mela bantufor pass by it it is full of people are still coming in numbers nt well pland shame
- Rhaaa it’s only shit who is coming should stop shame. First they say gates open at 11, we have been waiting on top of that. No toilets here at people’s place it’s hard to pass through people now they want to pee in the places they laugh at because it’s bad… No never again… Grandma shem
- Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, this was an all sold out event. You are failing the Bay whereas you have received so much support for this event. Arts and Culture and Sport and Entertainment izobangathi people of the Bay do not support kodwa you continuously disrespect us imali zabantu zikuni. Easy Sundays are alot better than this!! People are complaining haybo!
- Organizers have done the thing that we have to leave early for our safety, I will never again, yeses.
- I mean the line up was too good to be true there is something that will be crooked.
- This is shit.
- When will organisers learn plan an event that will unite our cultures… It was sterling line up of performers truly great but in future we have jazz artist across cultures…
- The concept was right but organisation team failed ibhayi.
- Waste water people, the chicken has run away, you are disrespected, please don’t come
- What is happening now this event is a scam what a waste asking for our money.
- You will never hear my money again, it was the first time to finish. Forgive packing in a space with space. Your priority is money. Y’all don’t appreciate us man. I don’t even want to say the toilets issue.
- You ate our money – amateurs who planned this event.
- I felt like “we were in the party”. Why did you put us in a confined corner….the was literally no space to move. “Y’all say we don’t even know our food, but you sell it’s not”, I don’t know the mfs you sell us there. You played us big time, You guys, the organisers sold us a fake event….
- The boredom was here it looks like.. Because they are sitting down as if they are in a funeral.
- Y’all fooled people with their money.
- Worst planning I’ve seen for far in the NMB. Zero coordination for walk ways. No planning for people with car parking funeka siphume siyoma phandle lei line after sesingenile. No separation for walk ways since the space is already small for the amount of people coming to this event. Ongathi you guys didn’t know the numbers coming to attend. Right now at 15:30 there’s no access to the toilets abantu bahleli ecaleni kwazo. Poor poor planning unfortunately.
- Critical comment: The event organisers did not cater to the number of people that will attend the event in terms of space, it’s even worse by the toilet side. There are so many people but the toilets are few please next time look for a much bigger venue. We can’t even go to the toilets because there is no space to pass through people. Very disappointing shem, such a lovely event but poor planning.
- This was such a show of disrespect to people. Seems it was handled by amateurs organisers because why would you park inside then walk outside to gain access to the stage? Then there was silence in between performances. No word from anyone to keep us in the loop. Kuthe cwaka. Also, did you not know the maximum number of people that venue could accommodate. People were literally sitting next to the toilets. Yoh I could go on!!! What a disappointment!!!
- Y’all failed the people supporting this event Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium take accountability, apologise, learn and respect people supporting you!!!
- SCAM OF AN EVENT.
