Kalawa Homecoming pandemonium

IT was meant to be the event of the year but in the end it was characterised by shoddy preparations and a weak line-up that left many questioning if the Kalawa Homecoming would be ever be the same again.

Every year in December like clockwork the Kalawa Homecoming whips the City of Kings into a frenzy during a period when most are eager to see out the year in style.

For the past few years, the event has brought the razzmatazz of Mzansi showbiz to Bulawayo's party hungry streets.

Who can forget the invasion of an army of kwaito greats in 2014? Or when AKA and Cassper Nyovest took their famous feud from Johannesburg to Bulawayo in 2015?

This year, however, things were far from rosy with behind the scenes bungles, never mind a weak line-up, stealing the shine from what was meant to be the year's crowning event.

Sunday Life sources who observed the goings on behind the scene say there was utter chaos which was compounded by the event organisers' seemingly amateurish behaviour.

The comedic yet tragic tiff between Nkululeko Nkala and Oskido's team, seemingly led by former broadcaster Ezra Tshisa Sibanda and XMO Squad's Vusumuzi Siqalaba was only a tip of the iceberg during a dramatic afternoon on 27 December.

According to a source, things had begun to go wrong when the kombis tasked with ferrying the Kalawa stars were late, leaving the kings and queens of this year's Homecoming stuck at the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport.

This happened after it was discovered that there was no fuel money for the three kombis that were to be used for the task.

When this problem was solved after a significant delay, the unprofessionalism of the organisers was to marr the convoy's journey from the airport to a local hotel.

On the way from the airport, stars riding in one of the cars, including AB Crazy and DJ Liquid, were left mouths agape when two of the drivers continued sharing an unknown intoxicating substance from a transparent water bottle.

Although the stars did not say anything at first, they became worried when the drivers, who were visibly drunk, started driving recklessly.

The stars became even more vocal and raised alarm when their vehicle was almost involved in an accident during the trip.

Furthermore, the stars were incensed by the fact that the organisers wanted to take them for lunch at a local traditional food restaurant before they had done their check in at the hotel. According to the source, the imported talent feared their luggage would be lost while they were still gallivanting in town.

They were soon to find out that the organisers had made a meal of organising decent shelter for them.

Things came to a head at the hotel when the artistes discovered that they had to share rooms, in contravention of the arrangements made prior to the show.

For AB Crazy, an artiste signed to Kalawa, things would get from bad to worse later on when the car taking him to Amazulu Sports Club broke down at Highlanders Sports Club, delaying him for his performance.

This upset the Rands and the Nairas hit-maker, particularly as he did not want to go to the stage after Winky D.

The Zimbabwean has acquired a reputation for outshining foreign acts on home soil and the South African feared that he would become his latest victim, or even worse, get the same treatment as Oskido's son last year who received a volley of missiles from a restless crowd after putting up a lifeless performance a little after the Gafa had already sizzled on stage.

AB Crazy then managed to avoid a likely humbling after he managed to get on stage after a performance by fellow South African Sox.

One of the organisers told Sunday Life that confusion had reigned supreme at this year's event because their major sponsor, a vital cog in past editions, had pulled out.

This left retail clothing giant Edgars and Innscor's flagship food outlet Chicken Inn and a few others as Kalawa's only corporate backers.

The pullout of the unnamed sponsor had contributed to the lightweight line-up that was put together for this year's edition.

Regardless the preparations for this year's event left a lot to be desired, with the poor organisation coupled with the uninspiring line-up leading some to conclude that this was the worst Homecoming in its brief but illustrious history.