The 12-track album urges South African president Jacob Zuma to stop the police from harassing and extorting money from migrants residing in Johannesburg’s sprawling suburbs, Hillbrow, Berea and Yeoville.
Johannesburg is home to a large number of Zimbabwean refugees who fled their country for economic and political reasons, but many have fallen prey to the SAP, who demand money from them to avoid deportation as most of them are not documented.
“Since the release of our second album, life has been hell as we are getting phone calls from private numbers threatening us with death if we do not stop selling our CDs,” said Junior Ngwenya.
“When we ask who the callers are, we receive hurting insults directed at our parents and nationality. What worries us most is that these unknown callers mentioned that they know all our movements and whereabouts and they vow to deal with all our band members painfully. Our music only begs the President to deal with his cops. We tell him how his cops are behaving and treating foreign migrants – despite him urging them to treat everyone equally.”
“Trouble started after some policemen bought our CDs,” said another band member, Christopher Ncube. “I am convinced these police officers are angry because through our music we expose how they victimise foreigners.
“The group will not be moved by these threats; we will continue promoting the CD and spread the message as it is our duty as artists to comment on social issues affecting everyone. We would rather die for standing by the truth as we don’t belong to a generation of cowards,” added Ncube.
Yeoville Police station communications officer urged the band to report the case so that it could be investigated.
Post published in: Entertainment