'It was a rape of the psyche, an attempt to silence me': Sibongile Mngoma on having shirt ripped off by police

“I was raped. I was not humiliated, because I did nothing wrong. Like a group of gang rapists, the men who brutalised me wanted me to feel shame when what they did was shameful. What happened last week was a rape of the psyche, an attempt to silence me, but I was exercising my right to protest.”

Singer Sibongile Mngoma has spoken out about the incident in Pretoria last Tuesday, when a peaceful protest led lead to her being dragged and having her shirt ripped off by police.

The image of her standing, exposed, was in stark juxtaposition to the glamorous photos taken of her performances.

Two weeks ago, artists sent a list of questions to sport, arts and culture minister Nathi Mthethwa, including a request to make public a forensic report on the abuse of funds from the Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme (PESP). They also demanded the department make public all information about Mzansi Golden Economy (MGE) awardees. 

The MGE was an initiative to improve investment in the creative economy by funding arts programmes at R100,000 each. 

They called for Mthethwa to resign over what they believe is a lack of understanding of the industry.

The meeting was scheduled for November 2, but was postponed to November 5 at the last minute. Mngoma was already on the road, having driven from her home in Bloemfontein, and decided to pitch up at the Pretoria office anyway.

She and five others protested by sitting in front of the building. When the minister arrived, she was dragged across the road to allow Mthethwa to park and her shirt was ripped off.

TimesLIVE arrived at the Birchwood Hotel on the East Rand on November 5 for the meeting between artists and the department, but was prevented from attending.

As the meeting started, male members of the department openly joked about the incident, calling Mngoma a “trouble-maker”.

Mngoma, however, said she was only doing what President Cyril Ramaphosa had instructed the nation to do.

“When Ramaphosa came into power, he said in his opening speech that if any citizen thought there was wrongdoing within the presidential departments, then we should go to those offices and ask. That's what we did. Instead we are treated like criminals,” she said.

“The crux of the issue is that 27 years later and the new SA system has not changed to be inclusive. We are dealing with the same problems we had during apartheid: inaccessibility, exclusion, gatekeeping ... The difference is now it's based on cronyism and corruption for gain. With each new president things are getting worse — there is no vision for the arts. 

“That government is OK with combining arts and sport is telling, and that artists were the first port of call — before vaccines and protocols — to society during Covid-19. That it was the first thing people turned to, to assist them, but the last to be helped, tells you all you need to know about the way society feels about artists.”

Mngoma said she did not mind that other artists had given up the protest. 

“People ask, why am I fighting so hard? The difference between me and the others is that music is not my bread and butter, it's my lifestyle. I come from music: my grandfather was a musician, my dad, aunt and my child are musicians. The next generation will be obliterated if we don't stand up. 

“Africa is music, it is the sound of drums, it is our heartbeat, and I'm not going to turn my back on it.”

Mngoma said she still has bruises and scrapes, and the incident left her feeling tired and let down.

“I was physically and sexually attacked. I was molested. All I wanted to ask was, where is the money and why are you delaying giving it to us? That is taxpayers' money set aside for artists to use for their work. That work grows society — it is ubuntu. There is no better way to communicate than through art.”

She wanted people to know it is OK to say no when something does not work.

“I just wish society would appreciate the role of the arts — stop saying that artists are drug addicts or alcoholics, that they are the worst of society. 

“Imagine a world without art. I wish society would stand up for us the same way we stood up for society — artists were at the forefront in the fight against apartheid, we sang protest songs and held theatre. Our actions are more than a fight for funding.”

The next meeting is set to take place on November 22. 

Department spokesperson Masechaba Ndlovu said: “The meeting was postponed to November 5 to accommodate other sector organisations so the department of sport, arts and culture can engage in a broader sectoral meeting.

“This was communicated and Ms Mngoma was well aware of this, but insisted on making her way to the department’s offices.”

TimesLIVE