No action two weeks after the DJ Tira incident

A fortnight ago, well-known, Durban-based DJ Tira, the Kwaito musician and producer, was attacked while performing at the University of Venda's All Black Party.

The party was hosted by the university SRC president, Mr Tsunzuka Hakamela.

The attack on the popular DJ, whose full names are Mthokozi Khati, went viral soon after the attack. He sustained an open wound on the face after being attacked unprovoked while performing. A beer bottle that was thrown at him, allegedly by a drunk student, hit the DJ in the face.

The incident has come as a great shock to artists, who feel they might not be safe when performing at the campus.

Vhembe Music Forum chairperson Dr Roxley Masevhe condemned the incident and said it had been uncalled for. He blamed the university management, police and campus security for not treating the issue with the seriousness it deserved.

“As artists, we attend events to entertain our fans and we should not be made to wear bulletproof vests for gigs. We are very disappointed as artists that such an incident happened. We are also worried that management has not taken any steps against the perpetrators, even though they are known.”

He emphasised that they “blame the police for not effecting an arrest even though there is evidence to the incident. Univen is an academic centre for excellence in the SADEC region, and for a popular national star like Tira to be attacked while performing there will scare other artists from performing there”.

Univen spokesperson Dr Takalani Dzaga said the university regarded the incident in a very serious light and was very disappointed by what had happened. “We have launched a high-level internal investigation. We are still awaiting a full report, and our next step will be determined by the outcomes of the investigation,” he said.

Attempts to get comment from Univen SRC president Hakamela drew a blank.

Date:29 August 2019

By: Elmon Tshikhudo

Elmon Tshikhudo started off as a photographer. He developed an interest in writing and started submitting articles to local as well as national publications. He became part of the Limpopo Mirror family in 2005 and was a permanent part of the news team until 2019.

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