The San community in the Bwabwata area is demanding a public apology and the removal of artist M-Gee’s song ‘Kumorora’ “from people’s devices”.
They say the lyrics portray them as disrespectful beggars and constitute defamation.
M-Gee says the song is about checking up on your neighbours by greeting them regularly.
The official video was released on YouTube in 2020 and has garnered over 304 000 views.
A verse of the song, which is in Rukwangali, does not sit well with the San community, however.
It translates to: “When we arrived at Otavi, a Herero greeted us, saying ‘mwajavi’, then an Owambo answered, ‘I am good’. Then a San boy came with his hand in his pocket, begging for a dollar.
“What kind of a tribe are you that doesn’t greet? You must greet, man.”
San community activist Kaseta Khumalo says the song is disrespectful to the community.
He says it defames the San community’s character.
“Such derogatory sentiments have been shared about our community for far too long, and it’s accepted by society as normal. However, it’s damaging to our community, because people believe them and treat us like nothing more than beggars.
“We have so much more to offer society, and we will not allow such negative statements any more,” he says.
Khumalo says M-Gee must remove the song from all social media platforms and issue a public apology.
“He must also write a formal apology to the San community. Furthermore, he must indicate in the media to tell the public to delete the song from their devices.
“Failure to adhere to our request, we will file a defamation of character case against him,” he says.
San community youth member Geuse Philip says M-Gee is discriminating against them, because he depicts other tribes as respectful.
“He is an artist with a responsibility to unite tribes instead of discriminating against one while praising the others. We as the San community are very respectful, and we also work for what we have.
“He must apologise to us and remove that verse about us,” he says.
M-Gee, whose real name is Thomas Lucas, has told The Namibian his intention was never to paint the San community as beggars.
He said he wrote the song during the Covid-19 pandemic to encourage people to take care of each other.
“In the Rukwangali language, the nuances of storytelling often use scenarios to illustrate a point. When I asked ‘Mukwasinke ogu?’, I was not questioning an ethnic identity but rather asking ‘What kind of person are you that doesn’t greet?’.
“My goal was to promote mutual respect during a dark time in our history. However, it has come to my attention that this verse describing a fictional encounter with a young San boy has been interpreted as a negative stereotype,” he said.
M-Gee said he recognises that his choice of imagery has caused pain and apologises for that.
“I am truly sorry. I hold the San community in the highest regard as an integral part of our national fabric. The song has spread far beyond my personal control on various digital platforms, making its total removal difficult.
“I hope this explanation clarifies that my heart was, and remains, in a place of peace and entertainment – not prejudice. I ask for your forgiveness and hope we can continue to use music to bring Namibians together, rather than pull us apart.”
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