• About 20 people entertainers marched to the Union Buildings to hand over a memorandum demanding that events be allowed.
• The protesters say that since the lockdown they have not been able to earn any money.
• Desperate for an income, they have asked government to allow events with a 70% capacity. 

A small group of people in the entertainment industry including DJs, bouncers, and event organisers marched to the Union Buildings in Tshwane on Friday, demanding that events be allowed so that people in the industry can put food on the table.

It’s been six months since DJ Keletso Monaanyane known as Hypnotic-K has performed at a gig.

As a club and event DJ, this is how he makes his money, but since the Covid-19 pandemic arrived in South Africa and the country went into lockdown, he has been reduced to an unemployment statistic.

"We are not making any money, we went from providers to beggars," Monaanyane told News24.

Monaanyane said for the first three months he dipped into his savings, hoping that government would soon re-open nightclubs and allow the running of events such as concerts and festivals.

Once his savings ran out, he had to start asking people for money, as there have been no Covid-19 relief funds made available by government for DJs, according to Monaanyane.

"As a father it’s been heartbreaking to see my child go to school without the things that he had before Covid-19."

Size

Monaanyane has even had to restrict the size of his son’s lunch for school because of affordability.

He added that the events industry and artists were not looking for a handout, but rather wanted to be allowed to return to work.

"We need the president to open events, we don’t qualify for any funds, therefore we want to go back to providing for our families."

The group, who wanted to hand over a memorandum to the presidency, are asking that events be allowed with a 70% capacity, keeping in mind that Covid-19 is still present and a threat.

Monaanyane said if the events industry did not open soon, those who relied on it for an income stood to lose everything.

Financial implications

Kagiso Modiselle, known as DJ Divalash, echoed the same sentiments and detailed the financial implications of not being able to perform since the country went into lockdown on 27 March.

Modiselle said while government support had been given to a number of sectors in the country, and other sectors opened as lockdown regulations were lifted, the event industry has still not been addressed.

This has resulted in financial suffering with many breadwinners in the industry not being able to afford anything.

Earlier in September, a group of musicians and artists in Durban also protested against the lockdown regulations which have heavily impacted their industry.

The musicians hosted a concert on the N3 highway and were arrested by police.