2002-01-04
The Nyamandhlovu Cleft Stick and Messenger reports that the affirmative
action scandal currently rocking South African cricket is just the tip of
the foreskin.
Our arts and culture correspondent, Mr Allegro Babalazi, reports from
Johannesburg that the South African government is not at all happy with the
lily-white character of South Africa's symphony orchestras. These are
lily-white, because only the children of whites get the privilege of music
lessons.
With effect from next month, all orchestras will fall under the control of
the Symphony Orchestra Board (SOB). This will be composed of leading
conductors and experienced musicians, plus a couple of invited
administrators. These will elect a president to head the Board. The most
likely candidate for the position is Mr Discord Tshabalala. Although not
well-known in music circles, especially classical music circles, Mr
Tshabalala has excellent credentials for the job: he is black,
well-connected in the ANC, has seven convictions for fraud, and is known to
have a fondness for both rap and township jive.
His election is certain, because all the conductors and musicians are white,
and like the United Cricket Board and the South African Rugby Football
Union, they wouldn't dare elect a white person as president.
Mr Tshabala has said that his priority will be Transformation, and he will
consult widely with all the stakeholders and role players, to ensure that
classical music in South Africa becomes demographically representative.
While merit (i.e. the ability to read music and play an instrument) will
obviously be taken into account, it will no longer be the sole determining
factor in deciding who gets chosen to play in an orchestra. Using the same
ratios as demanded of the cricket team, a minimum of 6 emerging musicians
must be chosen for the average size orchestra.
These must be genuine emerging musicians. Any black player who has ever
been given music lessons will be disqualified on the grounds that he or she
was not genuinely disadvantaged.
Asked if this would not affect the morale of those who currently depend on
their contracts in orchestras to earn a living, Mr Tshabalala said that he
didn't see what morale had to do with the ability to blow a trumpet or play
the piano. "It's not as if the orchestra has to play against Australia or
England", he quipped.
Just as well. We'd probably lose.
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