Lucky Cain

Uhlose ukuthuthukisa osomabhizinisi oweKota Festival

Le festival izoba ngoMgqibelo, eKings Park Stadium

UHLOSE ukukhulisa umnotho nokuthuthukisa osomabhizini basemalokishini abadayisa amakota, umcimbi waminyaka yonke osuhambela amadolobha ahlukene eNingizimu Afrika, obizwa ngeKota Festival.

Lo mcimbi ukhuza ibuya eThekwini ngomhla ka-2 kuNcwaba kophezulu, eKings Park Stadium, lapho kuzobe kuqhudelana khona labo somabhizinisi ngokwenza ikota esezingeni, futhi ehlukile kunalawa ajwayelekile.

Lo mcimbi ovuleleke kuwona wonke umuntu, osomabhizinisi bazokhangisa ngezindlela abenza ngazo amakota abo ezindaweni abathengisa kuzona. Ngokusho kwesikhulu esiphezulu salo mcimbi, uMnu Xolani Machele, balindele osomabhizinisi abasakhula abawu-20, ukuba babe yingxenye yalo mcimbi kule mpelasonto.

Bangaphezulu kuka-10 000 abafika
bezothokozela amakota kule festival

"Labo somabhizinisi bazothola ithuba lokuba benze imali ngokuthi badayise kulo mcimbi, baphinde bacobelelane ngolwazi ngokuzithuthukisa ngala mabhizinisi abo.

Bazobe bethengisa, futhi besemqhudelwaneni wokwenza ikota ezoba wundabamlonyeni," kusho uMachele.

Uthe kule minyaka ewu-6, lo mcimbi ukhona futhi uhambela amadolobha ahlukene akuleli, ukhombisa ukukhula minyaka yonke.

"Ngesikhathi siqala ngo-2019, saba nabantu abangaphansi kwenkulungwane abawuhambela. Kuyasithokozisa ukuthi kulo nyaka kula madolobha esesiwahambelile, sinabantu abangaphezulu kuka-10 000 abafikayo ukuzothokozela amakota, baphinde bazibonele okwenzeka kulo mcimbi," kusho uMachele.

Uthe phakathi kwamadolobha asebewahambelile kulo nyaka, yiBloemfontein, yiNelspruit,  kanti bahlela ukuya eCape Town kulo nyaka.

Uveze ukuthi kuzobe kungokwesibili lo mcimbi uya eThekwini, njengoba ngonyaka owedlule waba khona, futhi waba yimpumelelo.

"ITheku lisibonisile ukuthi linabo labo somabhizinisi emalokishini ahlukene. Okuhle ngale festival, wukuthi labo somabhizinisi bayafunda kwabanye ukuze bakwazi ukuyokwenzela amakhasimende abo abakubonile, futhi okuthandwa ngabantu," esho.

UMachele uthe inhloso enkulu ngale festival, wukuthatha ikota bayibeke kwibalazwe lomhlaba.

"Sifisa ukuthi uma useNew York uhalela ikota, ukwazi ukuyithola noma use-UK, uyithole, ngaphandle kokuthi uze ubuyele kuleli. Asifuni futhi igcine ithokozelwa lapha eMzansi kuphela, sifisa nezinye izizwe ziyithokozele njengoba nathi sikwazi ukuthokozela ama-pizza, ama-burger nezinye izinhlobo zokudla okukhiqizwe kwamanye amazwe," esho.

Uthe ngaphandle kwekota, kuzoba nedili lomculo njengoba kuzobe kuboshelwe abaculi noDJ.

"Asizimisele ukukhangisa le festival ngabaculi ngoba esikufunayo wukuthi abantu bazele ikota njengoba umculo kuyinto abazoyithokozela uma sebengaphakathi," kusho uMachele.

Uthi amathikithi aseqalile ukutholakala eComputicket, asukela kwabancane ngo-R80, kuya kubafundi bezikhungo zemfundo ephakeme abazofika nama-student card abazongena ngo-R100 nawabantu abadala ngo-R150.

"Sizobe sinayo nendawo ephephile yokudlala izingane nosomlingo abazozijabulisa. Yingakho silibiza ngosuku lomndeni lolu suku," ephetha. Umcimbi uqala nehora leshumi kuze kushaye elesishiyagalombili ebusuku.