MASERU — A disaster!
Those two words pretty much sums what became of South African gospel star Sechaba’s much-hyped show at Mathabiseng Convention Centre on Sunday.
The summary of what happened on that day goes like this: the show was delayed, the PA system jammed and Sechaba was arrogant.
That’s what the people who attended the show got for the pricey fee of M150 they had each paid to watch Sechaba.
The tale-tell signs that Sunday night was going to be a terrible one started emerging when revellers had to wait for nearly two hours because the venue, Mathabiseng Convention Centre, was still being used for a church service.
But patiently the fans waited, probably hoping that this was just a minor hiccup that could not be allowed to spoil a night of praise and worship through Sechaba’s popular songs.
It being an Easter Holiday, the days when we commemorate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ who gave his life so our sins could be forgiven, such an attitude was to be expected.
And when Thabiso Raditapole, one of the organisers, said because of the delay the show was going to finish two hours later than scheduled, it seemed that those who had decided to wait for the show had made the right decision.
It wasn’t long before the fans were dancing to music from Mosito Sentso, a local artist who had been hired as a curtain-raiser for Sechaba.
Good things come to those who wait, so some revellers must have thought as they rocked the dance floor.
Soon the frustration was replaced with bliss as Sentso put on a good performance.
There was further jubilation when Sentso said Sechaba, the main act, was already in town.
Then the long wait for Sechaba began.
Two hours passed before he emerged from the backstage in a black stripped suit.
By then it was around 6pm, three hours before the show was due to end.
Without bothering to apologise for the delay, Sechaba grabbed the microphone and went down to business.
Soon he had the crowd singing along with him.
Then after three songs everything went quiet.
The PA system was dead.
When efforts to repair it failed the organisers announced that the show was over.
No word was uttered about compensation.
Soon the disappointed fans were streaming out of the hall, some cursing under their breath while the angry ones confronted the organisers for a refund.
“I don’t believe I wasted my time and money to be sitting here waiting for a no show,” one fan furiously said as she confronted one of the organisers.
But with their money now in the pocket and what looked like a decent profit the organisers just would not agree to a refund.
When the Weekender approached him for a comment Sechaba lashed out.
“I hate media and I have nothing to say to you so just leave me alone,” Sechaba charged.
“I don’t care what you think of me, just leave me alone.”
All this was because the Weekender reporter had asked the artist if he had any words for his fans.
This is the same man whose poster for the show carried a quotation from Psalm 139 verse 23.
It says: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts”.
