THE Kora All Africa Music Awards scheduled for 20 March this year may not take place because with just about three weeks left, there are no preparations on the ground.
The government has endorsed the awards through the ministries of tourism, information and youth as a way of promoting Namibia, while the Namibia Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) has also been roped in as a production partner.
The Kora awards were supposed to have been held on 15 December last year at the Windhoek Country Club and Casino, but the organisers cancelled the event after failing to secure a site to set up the dome.
Although the awards are also scheduled to be held at the same hotel, the dome which is supposed to be brought into the country from South Africa has not yet arrived.
Sources in the entertainment industry told that it takes not less than two weeks to erect the dome. In any case, a fashion show is supposed to be held two days before the awards’ ceremony.
A source at the hotel yesterday said the awards’ organisers were using an office at the venue. According to the source, the office is part of a package which comes with accommodation.
The source further said the hotel has not yet received any communication about cancellations.
A member of a committee set up at the home affairs’ ministry to deal with visa and work permit issues for the crew and musicians, confirmed receiving applications.
The member, however, said the committee has not yet started the process because most of the applications have outstanding documents.
Some sources said a meeting was held in Windhoek on Monday to discuss the fate of the awards at a time when the Namibia Tourism Board (NTB) had paid millions for promotional packages.
The meeting was reportedly attended by environment minister Pohamba Shifeta, attorney general Sackey Shangala, NTB chief executive officer Digu //Naobeb and the Kora awards’ country representative, Tonata Shiimi.
Shifeta has denied that such a meeting took place, but said he had heard about the rumour of the awards being postponed.
“Maybe they are contemplating it. It is supposed to be communicated to us officially, just like it was officially communicated to us to support them,” the minister said.
Shangala said he was not in the country on Monday, and that he only arrived on Tuesday morning.
//Naobeb confirmed that the NTB had paid for promotional packages, although he could not say how much was paid. He could also not confirm the N$21 million figure given by sources.
He also said that one advert is already being run on NBC.
//Naobeb said the organisers told them that another advert was running on DSTv’s channel 327. A quick check yesterday showed that there is no such channel on DStv.
A few weeks ago, NBC’s corporate affairs manager Umbi Karuaihe-Upi said the national broadcaster had pledged N$1,8 million worth of air time to the awards ceremony.
Karuaihe-Upi said the NBC had not yet received any official communication from the organisers on whether the awards have been cancelled or not.
Shiimi could not comment on the meeting or the cancellation. He only sent an SMS requesting to direct all questions concerning the Kora to the communications agent, Marang Setshwaelo in South Africa.
Florence Vangah, who is manning the Kora office in Windhoek, said she did not know anything about the cancellation.
“I cannot tell you anything because I do not know. Please contact Marang at our South African office. She handles all communication with the media,” Vangah said.
In a short email, Setshwaelo said: “Thank you for your query. We will be in touch in due course with a response to the questions posed in your email.”
Kora All Africa Music Awards’ chairman Ernest Adjovi could also not be reached for comment.
The Kora awards have been held in various countries, including South Africa, Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast.
