Fanelesibonge Bengu

Student no: 20926503

News Writting Assignment Due: October 11, 2010

Two men were shot dead and five injured in their home in Mphophomeni informal settlement, outside Howick on Saturday night, paramedics said.

Jeffery Wicks, spokesperson for Netcare, said in a statement, paramedics arrived at the scene to find that two men had been shot and killed both having sustained multiple gunshot wounds. “One man was in a critical condition having sustained a traumatic injury to the head, purportedly when he was struck by a panga.”

“Another two men had been seriously injured, one man sustaining a single stab wound to the chest and the other a gunshot wound to the chest,” Wicks said.

Furthermore he said two women had been badly beaten and were also treated by paramedics, “All the injured were transported by ambulance to medical facilities in Pietermaritzburg for the medical attention that they required.”

The Makhanya family had lived in the Mpophomeni informal settlement for 30 years.

Family spokesperson, mother of the deceased, Mrs Makhanya, said she was heart broken. “My sons were very good boys, they took good care of me as I’m old and I cant work anymore, I don’t see a reason why I’m still alive, I should also die,” she sobbed.

Wicks said details of what transpired in the house remained vague and would be the subject if a police investigation; “further clarity and comment can be sought from police spokespeople at an appropriate hour.”

KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson, Lieutenant-Colonel Vincent Mdunge, said Pietermaritzburg members of the SAPS arrived at the scene at about 23h00. “We suspect that maybe the family had fued with another family in the area.”

“Robbery could be a motive too as cellphones, cash and other valuables were taken,” Mdunge said.

Mdunge asked anyone with information to call him on 079 525 8062 or a local police station.

Cases of murder and robbery were being investigated.

Underground is my home: Dj Pzet

Underground deejays must unite. This was a plea made by Dj Pzet to fellow underground deejays during a “Guns and Roses” party on Friday at Zig Zag Lounge at Berea Centre, Durban.
23-year-old Dj Pzet whose real name is Phakamani Zulu is an underground deejay who is a resident deejay at a newly opened bar, grill, and lounge Zig Zag. “I approached the manager of Zig Zag Daviola Ramputa and told him I was a deejay, an underground deejay. I told him I wished to play on weekends and I would bring my own cd players, and he agreed. That is how this whole Zig Zag thing came about,” he boasted.
Zig Zag was opened late last year, September to be precise, and it has attracted a number of party lovers in and around Berea. What it has also done is that it has given underground deejays a chance to show case their talent. Pzet, a financial assistant at Road Accident Fund joined in on November. The lounge has also invited the likes of Dj Mthuthu, Dj Slim, Dj Nzwiri, Dj 15 and a female deejay known as Dj Happy-Gal. Dj Happy-Gal said she was elated to have been invited to play there tor the first time. “I feel honored to have been the first female deejay to have played at Zig Zag and I would like to thank the management,” she happily said.
When asked about some of the challenges they face as underground deejays, Dj Pzet first sighed deeply. He then said there were quite numerous. “Bra it’s hard being an underground deejay. For example, lets say there is a gig somewhere and our names are written on the poster only a few would attend because we are not “famous” like Dj Bongz, you understand?” he said. And other challenges he stated were that people took them for granted but they forget that some of those “famous” deejays buy music from them when compiling a cd. “My man people don’t understand some of those guys[“famous deejays”] buy music from us underground deejays, and the saddest thing is that they get recognition through our hard work,” he said.
Even though underground deejays are faced with a number of challenges, they still get opportunities. They are “cheap” so they get hired locally to play at house parties or weddings. “That’s where we get our money from bra. People in the townships wouldn’t want to pay Tira [deejay] R9000 for an hour, they’d rather hire us because we cost less and we sure can play,” Pzet said.
Deejaying is like a business, there are also weaknesses. Pzet stated that some of the weaknesses they got are that people take them for granted because they don’t have cds at music stores. Furthermore he said it was hard getting music, “Go to Soul Candy Records you will see what I’m talking about,” he said. He alleges that “famous” deejays get access to music that is not on the shelves. The stuff members take them to the store room and give them vinyls to choose from.
If there are weaknesses, it means there are also strengths. Some of the strengths the underground deejays have are that they live with their fans, unlike those “famous deejays who some you can’t even talk to. That is advantageous because the “fan” would tell them [underground deejays] the kind of music they love, they would play if for them. Pzet said that that was what he also did,” Man I live and grew up with these people, I can’t betray them because angsilona I celeb lova (I’m not a celebrity). These people are my target market, they tell me the kind of music they like and I play it for them.”
Mario Mkamba, a first-year Information Technology student at the Durban University of technology said he loved underground deejays because they are “down-to-earth” and they listen and do what they are asked to do, “these guys are like our servants, they listen and act on our commands.”Pzet urged all underground deejays to unite and people to support them. “Music is my life, underground is my home,” he concluded. To see Dj Pzet live in action and other underground deejays, go to Zig Zag Lounge every Wednesdays to Sundays.

KwaZulu Natal Afro Soul artist releases debut album

Young up and coming Afro Soul artist from Ulundi, northern KwaZulu Natal believes he will teach fellow South Africans a lot through his music. He says his music will motivate the youth.
Ntuthuko “Mthuthu” Ndebele says he is not here(in the music industry) to make money but to educate, “I just want to teach fellow South Africans a few tricks of surviving in life, money would be just a bonus.” He says it was the experiences in life and the challenges he has faced that made him to write music.”I have gone through a lot in life so I would like to tell all that through my music,” said the 23-year-old.
Like all other boys, Mthuthu grew up playing soccer and says he was captain of his primary school team.”At primary I was playing soccer and I was captain of team B but when I got to grade seven things changed, I joined the school choir,” he recalled. He added they were compelled to join the choir, “As time went on I realised I had passion for music and talent and that is why I did Drama in high school just to get the basics.”
Mthuthu says he started as a Hip Hop artist with one of his friends from high school, Vusi and recorded two songs. “I first did Hip Hop with Vusi and recorded two tracks but when I moved to Durban in 2005, I was influenced by Kwaito and Afro Soul. That is why my upcoming debut album has a mixture of Kwaito and Afro Soul,” he said.
He says he has signed with Stano Productions, “We were just chilling with my boys siziculela (singing) so we thought why not we do a demo cd. So we did it and took it to Stano Productions Studios and they liked our style.”
Initially they started as a group of four members. ”We were four but due to other commitments my partners had, they couldn’t balance their time so I was left alone. At first it was tough but I moved on,” he sadly said.
The musician says he is busy with his debut album expected to be released at the beginning of May,” The album will be out in May and we are busy doing the final touch ups, people should go support local talent.”
“The album will be titled Life goes on which I think is motivational to anyone.”
According to Mthuthu people love his music, “when we visit radio stations like Zululand FM and Nanda FM, people calling in loved my music. Even those who saw my performance on SABC One’s Kids News, they enjoyed it.”
“I write my music and there’s a track about love, where I come from, and there is also tracks which are inspirational like Life goes on.
He has worked with a number of artists in his album including Deejay Stan who is the producer, Subzero, Piladu, S-kay and Da Marz. “If you notice these names my man you’ll see that these people I have worked with sing different genres of music. Take Piladu and S-kay for examples, Piladu sings Kwaito and S-kay does Hip Hop and I sing Afro Soul, I wanted to cater for all sorts of markets,” he said.
“I believed if you’re an artist you have to be versatile,” he added.
Mthuthu has also worked with AmaGroovies which is a group under TZZ Entertainment, Sosha, Bullustic and Piladu. “I have travelled with a number of artists just to get stage experience, in stage some people like to see how you perform not just the lyrics of your song,” he said.
He concluded by saying people should buy his album and support our national team,” Support Bafana Bafana in this 2010 world cup and don’t forget to buy my cd, most importantly stop piracy.”
Your can catch Mthuthu this Friday performing at Umgababa Department of Sports Music Show, then the following Friday he will be in Ulundi and Nongoma.