Mazwai says muggings were deserved
Poet, performer faces backlash for ‘evil’ comment
Controversial poet and performer Ntsiki Mazwai caused a stir on social media yesterday by suggesting that people who were robbed outside the FNB Stadium got what they deserved.
Mazwai’s comments sparked a Twitter backlash, with users lashing her for being “insensitive”. Mazwai, who has made it a habit of shooting from the hip, said the mass muggings of concert goers who attended the Global Citizens Festival was a “clear sign that the country was not stable and the poor were ready to fight”. She tweeted: “The concept of this concert was evil, ugly and excluded most people. You deserved to get robbed for spitting in the faces of the poor. Then u put the show near the poor – ani%&* perhaps?” Twitter user Gogo Esme@LebouxM retorted: “Ntsiki no... None of the concert goers deserved to get attacked and robbed. People got hurt, some were stabbed, young boys were using bricks to form human shields and protect their loved ones from harm. Attack the concept of Global Citizen yes but this tweet is not right.” Another user, Cummingtonite@Vuyisile, said: “I thought people were just crazy for not liking you but you are really evil sisi you’re fighting for a good cause but your ways of doing it are very evil.” Zandi Vote EFF@Zandipatricia1: “Ntsikimazwai uhlezi etwitter iqiniso [always tweeting the truth] …but some folk make her seem like this angry, bitter, hateful, black woman... but the truth is she’s just a realist maybe some of you should try it sometimes then maybe just maybe this country wouldn’t be so f** up mxm.” Third Force @NalediMashishi tweeted: “Ntsiki you do realise the majority of people getting robbed were those who won free tickets, many of whom are poor themselves? The elites were escorted out in private shuttles. To tell people they deserve to go through last night’s trauma is evil.” When Sowetan contacted Mazwai yesterday, her cellphone rang unanswered.