Artists release Nathi Must Fall song

Artists and creatives staging a sit-in at the National Arts Council (NAC) offices in Newtown, Johannesburg, have created a song and dance movement challenge called Nathi Must Fall.

The song Nathi Must Fall is about the call to remove minister of sport, arts and culture Nathi Mthethwa. The song comes after many calls by different artists and creative activists who have wanted Mthethwa to step down as a minister since this year started. The calls were motivated by the problems surrounding the presidential stimulus employment programme (PESP) and Covid-19 relief funds. A group of artists who call themselves Abahlali base NAC has been sitting in at the NAC offices demanding answers on how the PESP money has been distributed.

Yuhl Headman, a choreographer and director who has been sitting at the NAC offices for 48 days now, said the song was part of the artists’ peaceful protest that has been going on. He said the song was just echoing what has already been out there and the feeling that artists have towards Mthethwa.

In the song the artists indicate that they want someone who will fight for them and their art, not someone who will make them go hungry.

"It was around 2am when we all realised that we can turn this into a song. Sibongile Mngoma was chanting Struggle songs and we were backing her and also dancing. In between the singing artists will throw in that part of "Nathi Must Fall" and it became a song. She sang the song during the activation that we had last week at the rooftop.

"We realised that the [original] version had a lot of background noise. We decided to do it professionally with people suggesting the correct lyrics and it was recorded just like that. We shot the video until 5am this morning."

It also has a dance routine. 

Mthethwa responded: "In South Africa, everyone is allowed to express his or her views. When they call for my removal there is nothing I can do because they are expressing their right."