Durban -
An international entertainer is considering taking legal action against the organisers of the Fact Durban Rocks party after allegedly being attacked while in the Very Very Important People’s (VVIP) section of the bash in the early hours of new year’s morning.
Muzi Mkhize, a vocalist in the Walt Disney production ‘The Lion King’, in Hong Kong, had to have stitches on the neck and hand after an unknown man hit him with a glass that broke on his neck and cut him at the event at Durban’s People’s Park.
Responding to the allegations, Fact Durban Rocks organiser DJ Tira said: “This incident did not happen at the VVIP, it happened outside at the parking area, but this person (Mkhize) was taken to the artist’s lounge area after the incident.”
DJ Tira said they were still investigating the incident but initial reports suggested that Mkhize had quarrelled with a bodyguard of an artist. He said although the alleged attacker pulled out his gun, “there was definitely no gun fired there”.
Mkhize said he was upset that after buying expensive tickets for his girlfriend, Londiwe Ngubeni, and himself, their safety was compromised.
The two said that even after reporting the incident, the event organisers “did not bother to investigate the matter” or follow-up to find out how he was after being attacked.
Describing the incident to The Mercury, Ngubeni said they had spent about R10 000 on tickets and alcohol.
“After working outside South Africa for the whole year, we decided that we needed to come home and have fun before we go back to work,” she said.
Ngubeni said just before Black Coffee went on stage, Mkhize went to the toilet and she got up to take some pictures.
“When I went back to the table we were sitting at, I saw a woman taking our bottles from the icebox on our table. When I asked her why she was taking our alcohol she rudely dismissed me and left.
“When Muzi came back I told him what had happened and he approached the lady. While talking to them, one of the guys the woman was sitting with took a glass and slapped it on his neck. It broke and cut his neck on the side,” she said.
Ngubeni said the man pulled out a gun and shot at Mkhize.
“When the guy pulled the gun a stampede started, people in the VVIP area running for cover, and Muzi got into the crowd to hide. The guy shot and the bullet missed Muzi’s shoulder,” she said.
The two looked for security personnel, but no one came to their rescue and the man disappeared.
“Everyone we asked denied any knowledge of him,” she said.
Mkhize was taken by ambulance to St Augustine’s Hospital where he had stitches.
“I use my voice to make a living and this incident could have snatched everything away from me,” he said. “We have phoned them (the organisers) several times, but they are not picking up their phones.”
KwaZulu-Natal police spokesman Thulani Zwane confirmed that an attempted murder case had been opened, but said no one had been arrested.
DJ Tira said when the incident happened security personnel were at the scene “in a split second”.
“If there was a gunshot for real, security would not have let the alleged shooter go.”
He disputed the couple’s claim that the organisers could not be reached on their phones.
The Mercury
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