Shimza to livestream show from Robben Island on Mandela Day

Shimza will be the first artist to perform a livestream show from Robben Island. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the landmass was used for the incarceration of political prisoners including former presidents Nelson Mandela, Kgalema Motlanthe and Jacob Zuma.

OMS is courtesy of Shimuzic in partnership with The Kolisi Foundation. The event seeks to raise funds for people that are negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Shimza says livestreaming his show from Robben Island is also his way of not admitting defeat to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s up to all of us in South Africa to shape how our history is being told,” Shimza said. “We need to tell our story using our gifts. Those that we can freely demonstrate and live off now, because of the struggles of people like the great Nelson Mandela.”

Mandela Day is an annual international day in honour of Mandela. The event is celebrated each year on Mandela's birthday, 18 July. It was officially declared by the United Nations (UN) in November 2009, with the first UN Mandela Day held on 18 July 2010.

He added: “It makes sense for me to do something like this on Robben Island for Mandela Day to raise money for people in Cape Town who have been affected by COVID-19. It’s my way of saying that we’re not being held ransom by this pandemic.”

OMS was founded in 2009 to raise funds for underprivileged children in the Tembisa township. The event is traditionally held on Christmas Day and Shimza has used the proceeds from the OMS show to buy school uniforms for pupils in the township since 2009.