Zimbabwe has a penchant of courting international artists with diva tendencies or shall we say that the international artists develop the diva traits the moment they step onto our Zimbabwean soil. This past weekend, on Friday Bulawayo, hosted a very disastrous concert featuring Busy Signal from Jamaica and Busiswa from South Africa.
Busy Signal, who is currently on an international tour and the Zimbabwe leg included shows in Bulawayo and Harare. Busiswa was part of the lineup in a show which was dubbed Dancehall vs House. However, all did not go according to plan with the show ending prematurely after Winky D walked off the stage citing problems with the sound. This lead to a missile throwing furore by the fans. Most of you have been complaining about the deplorable behaviour displayed by the Bulawayo fans but little did you know that one of the headliners was engaging in a very disgusting act backstage.
Michelle Madau who is one of the movers and shakers in the Bulawayo entertainment scene asked for a selfie from Busiswa who is alleged to not have been up to the task. All this was brought to light by Oliver Keith a South African based, Zimbabwean model and social media influencer in a Facebook post.
Surely a fan deserved a little bit of attention from a star she looks up to. As an arts professional, she deserved a level of respect from a peer regardless of the fact that they were foreign. As a differently abled person who had struggled to even get close to Busiswa, she deserved to be respected and given the picture she was asking for. We might not know what Busiswa was going through but if she is going to remain a darling in the eyes of her Zimbabwean fans then she should change her attitude promptly. No act is bigger than the fan, even if the act had to travel over 100km for the show. The fan is the buyer, therefore, they deserve respect.
This is an excerpt from the Facebook post by Oliver Keith. Read it and tell us what you think.
“Michelle (in her state wrestled her way in the crowd at City Hall to make her way to Busiswa because she adores her. It was her dream come true to see her and she just wanted a pic…the same dream she has to see Luthuli Dlamini one day. But guess what happened when Busiswa saw Michelle? She rubbished her. Literally rubbished her to the side as depicted in these pics below.
Michelle says ‘Keith I literally waited for her to finish her conversation with someone then I politely asked to take a pic but she refused to poise with me.’ She adds…’When the crowd took note of what was happening, they made noise about it and screamed at her. That’s when she turned around and said (Take the pic).’ But still, I asked her to at least kneel or drop a lil so she is almost my height and she said…’I don’t want. Take the pic and go.)’
I was on the phone with Michelle for close to an hour last night and she really let out her disgust.
So here’s my question to Busiswa. ‘Would you have acted the same towards someone who is able bodied, would it have cost you to be polite to a fan who made a way to City Hall despite her disability? I was actually your biggest fan, not that you really need me, but I am disappointed.”
