Can the cancellation of the 10 August 2009 Makeba Tribute Concert be attributed to racism?

Kokat claims that my reference to "white fools" in the post Gatvol of the power plays in the SA music industry is offensive. I cannot change this view, except to say that Kokat's mention of being human is endearing because I am also human. When however Kokat suggests that there are "good people in the music industry who are black brown and even white" and alleges that I am "racist", I hear the reverb of alarms and sirens zinging in my brain.

In one fell swoop Kokat erases our history and sends it packing because the democratic project will not tolerate such talk. Quite frankly I cannot care what the democratic project tolerates because I had no hand in its crafting. What I do know however is that apartheid forced Makeba into exile and in the process made sure an entire generation of willing ears, hearts and minds would never get the opporunity to see her perform live on stage. The recent cancellation of the Makeba Tribute Concert by Gilfillan also, in my opinion, demonstrates that for men such as Gilfillan apartheid was not enough and indeed it lives on.

In 2009 Gilfillan saw fit to silence the musical icon, even in her death. I have said this before and I should repeat, Gilfillan is a white South African man who has benefitted from apartheid. Let's be clear about this and let us also be clear that, like all white South Africans, Gilfillan's family profited from the spoils of apartheid.

The actions and behaviour issued by the ilk of Gilfillan continue to wreak havoc as they brutalise to no end, seeping into our every thought and suppressing our expression. We should also remember that the pathogenic nature of apartheid - as with all diseases - manages to perpetuate itself. No year called 1994 will stop this. It seeks out every nook and turns to every available cranny. In short, apartheid lives in the DNA of the RSA and the energy upon which this DNA relies reveals itself as Racism.

Reportedly Gilfillan has a hand in the Makeba Trust and with such authority available to him was able to block the staging of the tribute concert. The idea was for us - the public - to witness a musical eulogy. We were supposed to pay our respects as the public in a public space. Does it not concern one that one man has such control and power over what belongs to us all? What is also disconcerting is that this same man wields influence over the concerned musicians petition presently lead by mthethwa and mzwakhe.

Probably most damning is that we will never get to hear this tribute, unless ofcourse this Gilfillan dude gets some cash. Just the thought of it all takes me back, back, way, way back and then comes crashing into this reality. As to whether I am being a racist when talking about a "white fool" I'd like to clarify that it is impossible for me to be racist because white-apartheid-supremacy created the black in me. And, as in the case with lovey-dovey democracy, I had no hand in crafting that.