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Idols SA Season 8 contestant Khaya Mthethwa seems to have hit the right note, although it’s not all hunky dory being the most popular contestant, the KZN born rising star is now a victim of a smear campaign against him called ABK “nothing but Khaya”, which is aimed at voting against him because of a believe that he may have been head-hunted and receives preferential treatment, this is according to a column tittled ”Khaya is SA’s First Black Idol?” by Youngster which was on news24 on the 16 July 2012.
Youngster seems to be nothing but a sensationalist who fails clearly to articulate his baseless and uniformed allegation through his highly inaccurate and crippled so called evidence. I must say your behaviour is unbecoming especially after your earlier column about how Former President Nelson Mandela has sold us out. According to Youngster the former Idols judge Mara Louw was booted out after having raised the issue of race taking preference in crowning the ultimate winner but yet forgetting Mara Louw’s rambling drunkenness, and that this season Mnet is aiming at producing a black winner, thinking to myself i wondered why in South Africa should everything be about race and unfortunately this race card is now being abused. I personally know white people who have voted and who rally behind some black contestant simply because of their vocal ability not race.
By no doubt Khaya Mthethwa is talented and he deserves to be in the top 10 and so is everyone who made it to the top 10, but the songster has created a niche for himself with the judges and viewers and has given signal loud and clear that he is the real deal. And for some people to suggested Mthethwa is headhunted because he is black is nothing but an insult to his talent and to a larger black community and a disgrace that such allegations are coming from a black person.
Lobbying has never been a crime anywhere, weather in political arenas or church leadership contestation, for a mere fact that a website was established to raise funds and lobby for the Mthethwa to be crowned winner for this season is no crime and there is nothing suspicious about that since the website is not associated with Mnet and its not discrediting any contestant on the show, i wonder what makes the likes of Youngster to think that Mthethwa is receiving “unfair media coverage”, well media practitioners will tell you that everything that seems to be getting people talking is news worthy.
To remind alarmist like Youngster Mthethwa’s name started going viral on social networks and probably in taxi ranks after his soulful rendition of US female rapper Nicki Minaj's thumping Super Bass during the Theatre Week phase, the soulful young crooner’s popularity has skyrocketed even on twitter from 1900 twitter followers to 20169 even stars like Kabomo sing team khaya,
Yougster strongly believe that the are “external forces of darkness” that are assisting in promoting Mthethwa yet it’s evident that loyal fans are the once promoting the songster. The group friends of khaya on facebook which has over 800 members was started by a fan, Tebogo Latanta says that what influenced him in creating the group was the fact that “he saw good talent and potential idol who is nothing but a full package”. But i believe like Mthethwa said after he got his golden ticket to sun-city that “nothing can hold us back from who we suppose to be and what we suppose to do”. For the fact that Lindelani Mkhize is director of Universal music SA and that he is a co-founder of the award winning gospel group Joyous celebration, which Mthethwa happens to be part of to me that doesn’t indicate any form of conflict of interest since Mkhize is not a judge.
But my view is that no one should try to prophesy who might be crowned the winner, and lets give space for contestant to battle it out amongst themselves and let fans exercise their right to vote for their favourite without intimidation because of prophets of doom like Yongster. The winner of Idols is chosen by the voting public and the results are verified and audited and these guys in the Top 10 they are extremely talented
