Organisers of disastrous Thank You SABC Concert: 'We do not define success by numbers', slams 'vicious media' for making whole thing 'a Mandoza cancer story'.

Organisers of the disastrous Thank You SABC Concert that turned into a spectacular flop two weeks ago at the Orlando Stadium now say "we do not define success by numbers" and now blames the "viscious media" for turning it into a "Mandoza cancer story like when Princess Diana was chased and died".

The shocking show that was put up as a self-indulgent celebration of the controversial SABC boss Hlaudi Motsoeneng's abrupt decision in May for 90% local music on the SABC's radio stations lurched from chaos to crisis in the few days since the concert was announced on a Tuesday for the upcoming Saturday and turned into a highly embarrassing flop that inflicted further brand damage to the SABC's already tarnished public reputation.

As artists billed to perform and even the SABC choir were no-shows at the infamous concert, artists said they were not paid and pulled out, while only around 1 000 people showed up in the stadium that can hold 40 000 people for the expensive flop that started hours late.

Before the show, organiser Mzwakhe Mbuli who did the concert with the controversial concert promotor Morris Roda, promised to "fill up the stadium and fill up the stomachs of the artists" with 100 artists - none of which were made good on.

The SABC helped to hype the "record breaking" nature of the Thank You SABC concert beforehand, with Mzwakhe Mbuli going as far as saying that "what we are doing must go to the Guinness Book of Records," because the SABC is better than CNN International, the BBC and Al Jazeera that "never had a concert where people in London or artists in London will say 'Thank you CNN or BBC".

Mzwake Mbuli is now explaining the Thank You SABC Concert failure, telling SABC News that "we do not define success by numbers".

Mzwake Mbuli has now turned around and blames a lack of sponsors for the concert's flop, telling SABC News "It is unfortunate that we did not get funding. We ended up either thinking:  Should we go ahead or not? We soldiered on; we continued".

'Vicious media turned it into a Mandoza cancer story'

Mzwake Mbuli also turned on the media in a tirade on how the media didn't cover the Thank You SABC Concert correctly. 

"The media is vicious. The whole thing became a Mandoza cancer story. Not being sensitive to the family. The Mandoza cancer [was like the] Princess Diana chase until she crashed and died. Mandela it was announced long before his actual death".

"With Mandoza, the cancer thing. It was all about Mandoza is terminal. Wednesday. Thursday. Every call; email is about Mandoza. The audience, the people who attended the festival on Saturday, it was big news: 'Mandoza dead. Mandoza dead.'

'You can imagine the pressure. Then later Mandoza came. The print media on Monday asked who forced Mandoza to perform. Now then they changed the story because there was nothing tangible they could find corruption, scandal."

"Then they changed, saying the minister of communications Faith Muthambi, herself went to pick up Mandoza at home to prove and dispel the rumour that Mandoza is alive. The minister came wearing in black, she was late, she was coming from a funeral," said Mzwake Mbuli.

"Mandoza phoned after the whole hullabaloo after him having cancer, midweek, Mandoza himself called he wanted to perform. Mandoza came with his wife, with his children."

Mzwakhe Mbuli said another similar concert could take place again "provided big business, those with dollars, will come forward, and give us money upfront. Then we will book artists and celebrate".

The full version of 'Thank You, SABC' tribute song to Hlaudi Motsoeneng's 90% local music decision is spectacular - all 6 minutes 43 seconds of it.

The full version and accompanying local music video of the special tribute song in praise of SABC boss Hlaudi Motsoeneng and his decision for 90% local music needletime on SABC radio stations has finally been released - and its eye-poppingly spectacular.



The song, produced by poet Mzwakhe Mbuli, will get airplay on all 18 of the SABC's radio stations and the public broadcaster's TV channels.

"Thank You SABC" is a spectacular 6 minutes and 43 seconds long.

While the praise song and music video to Hlaudi Motsoeneng and the SABC doesn't brim with creativity, local artists didn't have a lot of time to record and do the best they can in front of the stark black backdrop.

Mzwakhe Mbuli, also the lead singer in the song, wrote the song to lavish praise on the public broadcaster for Hlaudi Motsoeneng's decision last month that all music on SABC radio stations must immediately adhere to a 90% local quota.

The kwela type song with very cheap music video production values is infused with a chorus of "Hla-udi, Hlau-di, Hlau-di, Hlau-di".

Various singers shuffle to words like "We applaud the monumental decision, 90% of South African content, 90% of better life, 90% of poverty alleviation, 90... 90 … 90%. Bravo Hlaudi Motsoeneng  and your progressive team. Bravo," he says.

"You all deserve gold medals! Baie dankie, baie dankie, dankie baie, baie dankie."

According to the song there is "no need to cry no more" because of the SABC upping local content as various artists and musicians' names keep scrolling by.