Ngizwe Mchunu confirms Bhinca festival cancellation, claims EFF clash

Media personality Ngizwe Mchunu has confirmed the cancellation of his highly anticipated Bhinca Heritage and Maskandi Festival, which was scheduled to take place in Inanda, north of Durban, this past weekend. The cancellation follows a series of violent confrontations between his supporters and members of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF).

Mchunu, who has been at the center of several public controversies, alleged that the clashes were instigated by EFF members who sought to disrupt his event. According to Mchunu, the situation escalated to the point where his security team felt compelled to discharge a firearm into the air to disperse the crowd after noticing that some of the individuals confronting them were armed.

We were inspecting the venue where I will host a music event on Saturday when we were confronted by a group of EFF supporters. My security team had to fire an AK-47 assault rifle into the air after noticing firearms among the EFF group.

The EFF, which was holding its own provincial manifesto launch in the same area, had previously vowed to prevent Mchunu’s event from proceeding, claiming that the festival organizers did not have the necessary permits. The confrontation led to a heavy police presence in Inanda as authorities worked to restore order between the two opposing groups.

Following the incident, the EFF reportedly opened a criminal case against Mchunu regarding the alleged shooting. Mchunu has maintained that his actions were in self-defense and that the cancellation of the festival was a necessary step to ensure the safety of his supporters and the public amidst the rising tensions.