Zubz's rap offends FF+
Xolani Mbanjwa
April 11 2008 at 01:11PM
The Broadcasting Complaints Commission will rule in two weeks' time on whether lyrics of a song entitled Get Out by Johannesburg-based rapper, Zubz, constitute hate speech.
This follows a complaint lodged by the Freedom Front Plus to the BCCSA about the continued screening of it by SABC 1.
A hearing was conducted on Thursday at the BCCSA where Freedom Front Plus MP, Willie Spies, said the screening of the Get Out music video by SABC 1 in January this year, amounted to the contravention of the BCCSA's Code of Conduct.
Spies said SABC 1 was in contravention of the BCCSA's code which provides that licensees may not broadcast "propaganda for war; incitement of imminent violence; or advocacy of hatred that is based on race, ethnicity, gender or religion, and that constitutes incitement to cause harm".
'My lyrics have been taken out of context'
The song - which was released in 2006 - contains lyrics which include lines like: "Tell the oppressor get out. And tell my people fight. For real you need to watch out. Because you feel the gun blast" (to machine gun sounds in the background.)
The Zimbabwean-born, BCom graduate continues: "Understand I'm gonna get this panga to your neck. Take what is mine today and I'll rob you tomorrow. Take my time it's payback. Tell my people fight. And tell the oppressor get out."
Spies said the "music video contains statements which, judged within context sanction, promote and glamourise violence based on race, national and ethnic origin".
Spies said in his opinion "the broadcast of this music on national television of a country plagued by racially motivated attacks and murders, is not only inappropriate but also irresponsible and inexcusable".
The registrar of the BCCSA, Shouneez Martin, said the hearing had taken less than 45 minutes and a decision would be taken in about two weeks.
Commenting on the hearing, Zubz said on Wednesday night: "My lyrics have been taken out of context. If you follow my music career over the past 10 years, you will see that I do not condone hate speech or violence.
"In that song I use the struggle and the oppression we had in this country as a pretext for people to stand up for what they believe in.
"When the complaint came up, information leaked out before the hearing and I was vilified for my lyrics."
He said people misunderstood the words, adding he would wait for the outcome of the hearing before commenting further.
