Madiba opera cast still in lurch

The cast and crew who brought Nelson Mandela’s life to the stage have still not been paid by Unathi Mtirara, three months after the performance.

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Pretoria - The cast and crew who brought the life of former statesman Nelson Mandela to life on the Pretoria State Theatre stage at the end of last year, have still not been paid, three months after the performance.

The members of the crew, the orchestra, chorus, writers and designers were to have been paid during the second week of December as per their contracts signed with Unathi Mtirara’s company, Opera South Africa.

“He has not only failed to pay us but he has also disappeared into thin air,” one of the affected artists said yesterday.

The artists said they had become desperate and realised Mtirara may no longer have the money.

“We are taking him to court, because if we let him get away with this now he will make it a habit,” another artist said.

They spoke to the Pretoria News on condition of anonymity to protect themselves from any repercussions from within the industry.

“Mtirara has caused us so much suffering and has done this in the name of Madiba... what a complete mess,” another said.

The Pretoria News initially reported on the plight of the artists a month ago, after they told of their frustration after losing contact with the producer.

The show had brought the house down during the five-day production between November 27 and December 2 last year, dazzling the audience.

Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthetwa heaped praise on the production and called the work done by Mtirara brilliant and one which brought the former president back into the hearts of the nation.

Mtirara is the grandson of Mandela’s cousin Justice Mtirara and he wrote the opera based on the stories he had heard at home.

The musical tells the story of a young Mandela and takes audiences through his youth and his life in Johannesburg right through to his death in 2013.

“He initially kept us abreast of payment delays, promising us that we would be paid as soon as money came in,” a chorus member said.

But in January he stopped communicating with them, leaving the artists angry and worried that they would never be paid. Approached by the Pretoria News at the end of January, Mtirara denied receiving payments despite confirmation from the department, and on Thursday he did not respond to phone calls.

“He has disappeared, no one knows where he is,” another cast member said.

ntando.makhubu@inl.co.za

@ntsandvose

The Star