Brown seizes the day but locals question his tour

AMERICAN pop singer Chris Brown’s tour is a kick in the face for women who are beaten by their partners, say activists, but fans can’t wait for his show.

Tickets went on sale yesterday for Brown’s Carpe Diem tour to Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg in December. The tour starts in Sweden next month and closes in the Mother City.

Brown beat up his ex-girlfriend in early 2009. He has been to rehabilitation and has done community service.

But Kim Pillay-Constant, programme co-ordinator at New World Foundation in Lavender Hill, is among those who condemn the tour. The foundation deals with gender violence and counsels abused women. “This is a country that is already dealing with high levels of violence against women and we are promoting an artist who has been violent towards his partner,” she said.

Local fashion designer Wayne Govender plans to buy a ticket. “We know he has no respect for women. If people don’t support that then they should not go to his concert.”

Pleasure Letsoalo, managing director of tour organiser Canoc Productions, said: “It’s not our responsibility to be judging him because we don’t have the context [of the beating]. The thing is that we are bringing in an artist that people want to see. One of the most important things is that he has admitted he made a mistake.”