Makhendlas,
who’s real name is Oupa Makofate shot himself in the head Saturday
October 31st. Kwaito, which is a rap derived South African form
of music blends Hip-Hop Rave and R&B, and has taken off since
the fall of Apartheid.
Apparently,
he was upset that he shot and wounded an abusive concert goer
at a stadium near Nelspruit, about 185 miles East of Johannesburg.
The shooting highlights light security and violence that sometimes
come with the Kwaito concerts (as it does happen here in the U.S.).
Just as Gangster rap made millionaires out of artists over here,
the same trend is happening overseas, with black owned record
labels and radio stations popping up. Most of the lyrics are in
Iscamtho, a street lingo that combines African languages, including
Afrikaans, and English. It is said to be named after a township
gang, the Amakwaito, or the Afrikaans word “kwai,” or “cool.”
The
songs deal with the gritty life in the impoverished townships
where jobs are few and crime is rampant, but lack the violence
and sexism that accompanies some of the American Rap. According
to the musician’s manager, Mpho Makhetha, three or four drunken
men slipped through security backstage before the concert and
began harassing the musicians. Mafokate intervened and the men
began swearing at him. The manager said Mafokate drew a gun and
fired a warning shot, but by accident shot one of the men. “I
guess Oupa thought at the time he had killed the guy. That’s why
he did what he did,” the manager said. “He was doing so well
career-wise. He was the father of a 4-month-old boy.”
The
man Mafokate shot was recovering in hospital, and was not seriously
wounded. It was unclear what happened to the other men. Industry
sources said they were surprised that the musician was carrying
a gun, because he was known as peace-loving person. Yet many musicians
feel they’re poorly protected and complain that promoters won’t
pay for proper security. The Soweto-born Mafokate, 27, was emerging
as one of South Africa’s top kwaito stars.