Taking a moral stand

IWILL be throwing away all the music I possess belonging to musician and convicted rapist Sipho “Brickz” Ndlovu, and desist from listening to his songs on any media platform.

This is because I have taken a conscious decision to be an ally to all progressive forces, led by women, which abhor any and all forms of abuse and oppression of women. For me to be a true ally, I have to repudiate Ndlovu’s sickening deed of violating his wife’s 16-year-old niece; regardless of how much of a supporter I was of his art. I have been a fan of Brickz, or MaBrigado, since he burst onto the South African music scene with his award-winning and critically acclaimed kwaito album, Face-Brick.

Sweety My Baby, Tjovitjo and Andapende are some of the smash hits that were the soundtracks of my late high school life. Brickz was able in this album to lucidly capture township life and struggles with his cheeky lyrics laced on unforgettable beats.

But the loathing I have for men’s violation of innocence cannot and will not allow me to reconcile what I once thought was an amazing musician with his animalistic conduct. A conversation I had with my female colleagues in The Star’s newsroom made me realise that we as men give artists like R Kelly, Smiso “Okmalumkoolkat” Zwane and Brickz power to continue with their despicable violations of women by consuming their music.

Well, no more. At least from me.