The first annual Mdantsane City Kasi Festival, which will incorporate boxing, music and fashion, is set to dazzle entertainment lovers from around East London on Saturday at the NU6 shopping centre.
Big names appearing – and performing at the event – will be former Miss SA 2013 finalist Yolanda Peterson from Mdantsane, top SA poet Simbone, model and singer Cee Boo, DJ Thulz and producer and singer Vovee Batala.
Batala, the event organiser, who will also emcee the event, said since there was no Buffalo City carnival this year, the festival would therefore fill a gap for the youth.
“So we decided let’s have music and boxing and fashion and appreciate our elderly people because we’ll also be hosting grandmothers there as well.
“Many of these artists are born and bred in Mdantsane. “The kids will have a sing-off competition and a boxing tournament as well,” said Batala.
He said there would be a R3,000 cash prize for the overall winner of the boxing and singing competitions.
“There’s also going to be a dance and music competition where our local dancers and singers will battle it out.
“And there will be an amateur boxing tournament, and then when that’s done, we will announce the overall results.
“We’ll also have our boxing legends like Welcome Ncita and Vuyani Bungu motivating the youth because we are doing this for the youth.
“You can’t host anything in Mdantsane without having boxing, and gospel music, poetry and DJs.
“So we have a packed line-up and Saturday will be [gospel artist] Yolanda Vuthela’s birthday. She just came back from touring the country and will be part of the team that will be giving back to the community,” Batala added
There will also be other prizes including shopping vouchers.
“We started the preparations about two weeks ago and everything is all done at this point and it’s a free event,” he said.
“We want the youth to challenge themselves because there’s a huge gap in sport, music and other things for young people to commit themselves to.
“For instance I recently spoke to a boy in Unit P [just outside Potsdam] who said to me that should I bring a rugby ball he’d stop smoking tik,” Batala said.
“We are doing this in South Africa’s second biggest township, because if you look at places like Soweto – look at what those people are doing for their places!
“We are hoping potential sponsors will like the concept after they see it and hopefully jump on board when we host the second festival,” he added...