Eastern Cape politicians and members of the public have called on generous billionaire Patrice Motsepe to stop his popular annual Christmas party, saying it leads to underage drinking.
Leaders of both the ANC and EFF have thrown their weight behind growing calls for an end to the bash, which has been running for 12 years.
ANC Amathole regional secretary Teris Ntutu, in a Facebook post, asks Motsepe to invest in the youth instead by building sport development facilities. BCM ANC councillor Amanda Mnyute and EFF provincial chair Yazini Tetyana did not offer alternatives in their calls to trash the free annual bash.
While the family event, held at the East London beachfront, usually starts at 10am and ends at 6pm, thousands, some as young as 13, stay behind and party until dawn while parents complain on social media.
Award-winning artists including Sjava, Busiswa, Kwesta, AKA and Mobi Dixon brought the house down last year. However several community leaders raised concerns about scenes of children drunk at the concert.
Despite security guards around the venue to prevent smuggling in of alcohol, scores of young and old were seen publicly drinking alcohol.
Politicians took to Facebook to voice their concerns about the scenes of drunken children.
BCM public safety and emergency services head Mnyute said the party should be closed, while Ntutu called for the foundation to reconsider its investment and rather build “top class sporting fields in our villages”.
Tetyana said: “The Motsepe Foundation festival needs to be stopped as it has lost its purpose. Let's do something else.”
Police spokesperson Captain Hazel Mqala said no incidents had been reported to police.
Attempts to get comment from the foundation were unsuccessful on Sunday. It requested to be contacted again on Monday.
However, the concert was a good platform for third-year law student at University of Fort Hare, Thuso Pharhela, a local budding artist who drew a portrait of his hero, Hip Hop sensation Kwesta, and gave it to him on Saturday.
Asked about Kwesta's reaction to the portrait, Parhela said: “He couldn’t stop smiling; he even said he can’t wait to show his family.”
He added: “I decided to do Kwesta’s portrait because he has been a great source of inspiration to many young artists.”
Parhela, whose drawing attracted many social media followers, said the muso started following him on Twitter and recently arranged for them to meet.
Nontsingiselo Mzamo from Mdantsane said of the event: “It was really nice; we had fun with our families and friends. We took our children along; it was a family event. There are not many events where my four-year-old son can come with me. It was nice to also have an East Londoner, Mobi Dixon close the show.”
Mzamo said her highlight had been Sjava's performance. “Besides the young children who were drunk, the show was good. Seeing children drunk like that was really bad,” she said.
Sjava and Kwesta said they had enjoyed the East London crowd and vibe as revellers had come out in their numbers to enjoy the show.
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