JOHANNESBURG BRIEFING May 2005

News this month

Artful dodging

A row has erupted over art supposedly produced by Nelson Mandela. The former president lent his signature to sketches he made of his old prison on Robben Island, which were later turned into paintings by an artist. Ismail Ayob, Mr Mandela's old friend and solicitor, was to take charge of sales and put the money towards Mr Mandela's charities.

But problems have been brewing for months: Mr Mandela's current lawyer alleges that Mr Ayob sold unauthorised copies of the art, and that up to $8m has gone missing from the project's coffers. Though Mr Mandela withdrew permission for his name to be used, art bearing his signature was still being sold in January.

Mr Mandela has become a powerful brand—so much so that his various foundations have undertaken a campaign to stop his name from being used for profit. A coin-maker was recently told by a South African court not to use Mr Mandela's image. Next will be those who produce T-shirts, refrigerator magnets and other Mandela paraphernalia.

Trophy time

The South African Music Awards, the country's answer to the American Grammies, took place in Sun City, a casino near Pretoria on April 15th and 16th, inspiring throngs of fans to join a two-day party at venues throughout the city. The 11th incarnation of the ceremony celebrated pop music made in the nation and on the continent. Awards were handed in genres from jazz to kwaito, South Africa's rap vernacular. Brenda Fassie, a singer who died last year, was celebrated for her lifetime achievements.

Danny K and Mandoza, two kwaito stars, scooped the best pop album award. While on-stage, Mandoza apologised for a recent drunk-driving incident. Brown Dash earned an award for best song of the year for “Phans' Komthunz' Welanga”. The categories seemed to stretch indefinitely; Nigerians did well in pan-African categories, and there was even a category for best Afrikaner music. But most of the evening parties were dedicated to the ascendant local black music industry, which draws on a mix of African and American influences.

A blind eye

South Africa did itself few favours in its recent handling of repression in Zimbabwe. The official South African delegation that monitored Zimbabwe's parliamentary elections in March quickly said the result—a massive win for president Robert Mugabe's ruling party—was a credible reflection of the people's will.

But after five years of rapid economic collapse, shrinking life expectancy, refugees fleeing the country and violent repression, it seems unlikely Zimbabwe's electorate would favour Mr Mugabe. Yet official results gave the ruling party, Zanu-PF, more than two thirds of seats in parliament. South Africa's president, Thabo Mbeki, could not bring himself to call the election free and fair, but declined to criticise Mr Mugabe. Elsewhere, Mr Mbeki's tact has created more cause for hope: he recently presided over a peace deal between rival factions from Côte d'Ivoire. So far it has held together.

Full pursuit

Britain's Barclays bank says it would offer 32 billion rand ($5.3 billion) for a controlling share in one of South Africa's big four banks, Absa. The deal was not immediately accepted by the investors who control Absa, but the price looks tempting. The market seems to have faith that the deal will go through: since the buy-out was first suggested last year, Absa's share price has rocketed.

Barclays thinks it will boost Absa's profits by 1.4 billion rand a year, if it succeeds in taking over the bank. The South African government is almost certainly happy to see the British bank come: few competitors exist in the country's financial sector, and a big injection of foreign investment would be welcome. But Absa is overstaffed by international standards, and Barclays would probably sack some of Absa's 32,000-odd workers. That would not please anyone in a country where unemployment is at about 40%.

Safe, so far

An outbreak of Marburg disease in Angola and two infection scares in South Africa put local health officials on high alert in late April. The illness is a highly contagious fever that causes bleeding, similar to Ebola. It kills 30-90% of those who contract it; in the outbreak in Angola, 244 of 266 patients have died, with most cases in the Uige province. Though infections have tapered off in Angola, health officials remain wary of declaring the disease controlled. Previously, the worst Marburg epidemic killed 128 in Congo between 1998 and 2000.

Both recent suspected cases in South Africa were in patients on planes from Angola, and later proved to be malaria. Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, South Africa's health minister, assured the public that that the country's disease-control systems are sound.

Catch if you can

May 2005

“Kat and the Kings”

Until May 22nd 2005

This is probably South Africa's most successful musical. It takes place from the point of view of Kat Diamond, who shines shoes on the streets. He croons about his heyday in 1957, when District Six in Cape Town was full of song and dance and his own group, the “Cavalla Kings”, rocked the mixed-race neighbourhood.

This is the only South African musical to also be performed both in the West End and on Broadway. It won the Laurence Oliver Award for Best New Musical in 1999 and was nominated for various other international prizes.

Pieter Toerien's Montecasino Theatre, Montecasino Boulevard, corner William Nicol Drive and Witkoppen Rd, Fourways, Johannesburg. Tel: +27 (0)11 511-1988. See the theatre's website.

More from the Johannesburg cultural calendar