- “Batswana wait for something big to happen before they rally behind”
- His motive “has not rang a bell in the public”-Dj Sid
- We want accountability for last year’s funds
GOSEGO MOTSUMI
Rapper Tshepiso ‘Kast’ Molapise embarked on his 2000 KM walk and is currently walking through the Kgalagadi region in a bid to advocate for the formation of the Arts Council of Botswana.
Compared to last year, the initiative has not garnered much hype from the public which begs the question of what the missing link could be this year. In a previous interview with Time Out, Kast emphasized ‘hype’ was not an important issue as his main goal is to advocate for the formation of an arts council.
According to Sidney ‘Dj Sid’ Baitsile this time around, the motive behind what he wants to do has not rang a bell in the public and the media- and this may be the reason why he has not received the attention and support he needs. Secondly, Dj Sid says Batswana wait for something big to happen before they rally behind it. “And nothing big has happened around this concept this time. But I hope he would do something to ignite the hype, otherwise, it will be a very long and lonely walk,” he pointed out.
The veteran broadcaster also said unlike the first Tlatsa Lebala, which he heard of way before it got underway, he only got to know about this year’s initiative when he saw pictures of Kast already on the road. Dj Sid says we must remember that the first one happened after he revealed that government declined to help him with the stadium. “At the time of announcing the walk, he had not yet been given the stadium, so that in my view was primarily why the walk got so much publicity and support from the public because they rallied behind him to get the stadium. However, he did get the stadium before the walk commenced, but already the hype was on and he went ahead with it anyway under a different reason,” he explained.
In another interview with artists who commented anonymously on why they were not supporting Kast’s initiative in numbers, some said they were still frustrated about last year’s walk which they say did not benefit other artists but Kast alone. “The initiative sought to highlight that a 100% local lineup could fill up venues and local artists could be paid. The venue was filled but artists were not paid, so we felt used and lost trust,” one of them said, adding that “Batswana” were still waiting for Kast to account for the funds.
Kast’s walk started in Gaborone via Lobatse, Kanye, Jwaneng, Gantsi, Maun, Nata, Francistown, Mahalapye and will end in Gaborone on 22nd May 2018, 55 days later. The rapper delivers lobbying letters to village chiefs as walks, because he says they are custodians of culture which plays an important role in the arts.