The South African Traditional Music Achievers Awards (Satma) event held in the North West on Saturday took a political turn when a group of young people peacefully walked to the stage while the programme was underway.
A group of five young people with placards that read "#FessMustFall" and "Pay Back the Money" peacefully joined a choir that had open the Satmas with National Anthem at the Mmabatho Convention Centre in Mahikeng.
The choir was singing a second song when they were joined on stage by the uninvited members.
The group walked between the choir members as there was space, dividing the choir into two.
Once in front of the choir, two them turning left and three turning right.
They had placards that read "Pay back the money", "#FeesMustFall", "No to Child and Women Abuse" and "Stop Rape".
The stage manager did not notice that the placards were shown on stage.
The whole drama unfolded while Public Service and Administration Minister Faith Muthambi was seated in the front row.
Founder of the awards Dumisani Gobo later apologised for the incident and promised to deal with those who interrupted the programme.
“We would like to apologise for the placards that were shown here earlier. We do not know those people and they were not authorised by us.
"We are going to deal with them decisively,” he said.
National Parliament Speaker Baleka Mbete was at the event, but DispatchLive could not confirm whether she was present when the incident took place.
Satmas turn political as peaceful protesters take to the stage
A group of five young people with placards that read "#FessMustFall" and "Pay Back the Money" peacefully joined a choir that had open the Satmas with National Anthem at the Mmabatho Convention Centre in Mahikeng.
The choir was singing a second song when they were joined on stage by the uninvited members.
The group walked between the choir members as there was space, dividing the choir into two.
Once in front of the choir, two them turning left and three turning right.
They had placards that read "Pay back the money", "#FeesMustFall", "No to Child and Women Abuse" and "Stop Rape".
The stage manager did not notice that the placards were shown on stage.
The whole drama unfolded while Public Service and Administration Minister Faith Muthambi was seated in the front row.
Founder of the awards Dumisani Gobo later apologised for the incident and promised to deal with those who interrupted the programme.
“We would like to apologise for the placards that were shown here earlier. We do not know those people and they were not authorised by us.
"We are going to deal with them decisively,” he said.
National Parliament Speaker Baleka Mbete was at the event, but DispatchLive could not confirm whether she was present when the incident took place.
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