September 17, 2007
By Ndaba Dlamini
MUSIC was the order of the day at Soweto's Mofolo Park on Saturday, 15 September, when the mayor and plenty of his citizens turned out to mark the 1 000-day countdown to the 2010 Fifa World Cup™.
Executive Mayor Amos Masondo leads the count down to the start of the 1 000 days to the 2010 Fifa World Cup™
The free concert, attended by Executive Mayor Amos Masondo and members of the mayoral committee, attracted a big crowd on a hot and windy day. The line-up included kwaito outfit TKZee, Malaika, Bongo Maffin and Jozi.
It was part of a series of events held across the country to start the thousand-day countdown to the football World Cup. Opening the proceedings, Masondo said the day marked an important milestone in the preparations for the World Cup.
"As we gather here today, it is a mere 1 000 days before the first ball will be kicked at our Soccer City stadium … I am happy to report that in the City of Johannesburg, preparations for the 2010 Fifa World Cup™ are going well.
"Today we mark and celebrate exactly 1 000 days to the kick off. Let every resident of Joburg pledge 100 percent support for the Joburg 2010 campaign," he said, adding that the football competition was not only about what the government should do, but "it is a matter that requires the involvement of organisations of civil society, business and all communities in the city".
"Let me assure you that our plans and our preparations are on track, on time and within budget. We are ready, we are willing and we are able to host the showpiece events of the world's greatest sporting spectacle."
And then it was time to start the party. TKZee took to the stage and stole many hearts with groovy, old skool kwaito hits like Shibobo and Masimbela. The crowd went crazy when the trio performed songs from the hit album Palafala.
Screams of joys greeted the announcement that the band would release a "come-back" album in the middle of 2008.
Afro-pop act Malaika also put on a sterling performance, despite the absence of Jabulani Ndaba. The band's hit song, Destiny, got the audience to its feet and many a person was shouting for more when the group wrapped up its performance show.
The crowds enjoying the musical mix at Mofolo Park
Not to be outdone, Bongo Maffin performed a lively show, with Appleseed wowing the crowd with his ragga moves and the sultry voice of Thandiswa Mazwai and Stoan's Tswana rap adding spice to an entertaining performance.
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