Renowned singer and record producer Sello ‘Chicco’ Twala’s latest comments on Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture have been met with raised eyebrows from members of the African National Congress (ANC).
The music veteran was among several prominent artists who attended the funeral of the late Winnie Khumalo this past weekend.
Later he took to the stage to address those in attendance, where he expressed that he was approached by members of the ANC who questioned him on why he was singing the praises of the newly elected minister of the Government of National Unity.
This follows after Minister Gayton and his portfolio, last month initiated a forensic investigation against the Cultural and Creative Industries Federation of South Africa (CCIFSA). This comes as the minister revealed that the CCIFSA has been receiving money from the department for years, however failed to report back on how the money was being used.
At the time, Chicco welcomed the news with gladness. Speaking to Sunday World he said, “McKenzie is moving in the right direction, and he must be supported on this. I fully agree with him. CCIFSA has been getting monies, but as the industry, we don’t know how they spent those monies. They’ve never been vocal on issues that affect artists. I seriously don’t know what they’ve been doing except chasing positions,” said Twala.
He further highlighted that corruption and maladministration were the things that destroyed the arts industry, emphasising that everyone should be subject to investigation, not just the CCIFSA.
This past weekend he shared that his support of Gayton was not well received.
“I’m in a WhatsApp group with Gwede Mantashe and all the top political leaders. They once criticised me for praising Gayton McKenzie, asking, ‘Comrade Chicco, why are you supporting an ex-convict?’ I told them that McKenzie went to prison for robbing a bank and served his sentence.”
He added that he admired how Gayton was able to turn his life around and positively serve his country. However, this he added, doesn’t mean he has abandoned his loyalty to the ANC.
Also see: ‘Yes she is my daughter’- Chicco Twala on DJ Lamiez being his daughter | Bona Magazine
