[Nfbf-l] Blind busker in cop attack has last laugh!

[Alan Dicey]

Blind busker in cop attack has last laugh!
July 10 2013 By Nontando Mposo
CAPE ARGUS South Africa
(Picture of Busker Lunga Goodman Nono inside his home in Delft with his new 
guitar.)
His old guitar was damaged by police when they forcefully removed him from 
St George's Mall. Photo: Henk Kruger

Cape Town - A recording offer is on the cards for blind busker Lunga Goodman 
Nono, who was forcefully moved by metro police officers on Monday for 
allegedly contravening city by-laws by performing for longer than his permit 
allowed.

Nono's guitar was smashed by several metro police in front of his wife, 
Abigail, and 10-year-old daughter, Portia. A passer-by who saw the incident 
has bought Nono a new guitar.

After video footage of the incident went viral on social media, people from 
across the country lambasted the metro police for what they called 
unnecessary brutality.
Rolling Stone SA (South Africa) magazine called for donations for a new 
guitar from its readers and South African award-winning acoustic guitarist 
Tony Cox heard the plea.
Also heeding the call, The Rooftop Recording Studio's Matthew Davison has 
offered to record and mix a song for Nono, to post on YouTube and other 
online music video channels.
"We are also going to record a short personal video clip about Nono to post 
online so people can know more about him and where they can give donations," 
said Davison. "We were touched by what we saw in the footage and felt we had 
to do something to encourage him with his music."

For the first time in five years Nono, who was blinded by meningitis at the 
age of one, took an unplanned day off on Tuesday to recover at home.
Speaking to the Cape Argus in his two-bed room shack in Delft, he said he 
had a sore chest and back.
He said about six metro police officers approached him on Monday and asked 
him to stop performing at his usual spot on the corner of St George's Mall 
and Short market Street, where he has performed since 2008. "They didn't 
give a reason why they wanted me to leave, or who had complained.
"When I refused to leave, they dragged me down and took my guitar. One of 
them pressed me on the chest and the other on my knee. I was scared as I 
could tell there was a lot of them. They had me surrounded."
Nono and his wife of 13 years follow a strict routine. They wake at 5.30am, 
boil water on their gas stove for bathing, and then their daughter leaves 
for school.
Abigail and Nono leave the house at 9am to take a minibus to town. When they 
get to St George's Mall at about 10am, Abigail buys breakfast for her 
husband, such as a pie or sausage roll and coffee, while he gets ready to 
play.
Nono sits on an upturned crate while playing mostly gospel songs. Abigail 
sits on a bench nearby and watches him until they leave at 2pm.

Nono makes about 150 Ran a day, or 200 Ran on a good day ($15 and $20 in U. 
S. Dollars). He also sells his CDs for 80 Ran ($8 in U. S. Dollars). 
Although he receives a disability grant, playing the guitar is their main 
income. They take a break only in January and at weekends.

Nono learnt to play the guitar as an eight-year-old at a school for the 
blind in Mthatha.
He now has to pay a R1, 500 fine ($150 in U. S. Dollars).

The City of Cape Town said on Tuesday the conduct of the metro police 
officers involved would be investigated. The mayco member for safety and 
security, JP Smith, said Nono had permission to busk only between 12.45pm 
and 2pm on weekdays. But he had "repeatedly disregarded regulations and was 
verbally abusive" to city officials for months.
Nono denied this, saying he suspected complaints had been lodged by a 
shopkeeper opposite his spot. The manager was off sick on Tuesday when the 
Cape Argus visited the shop.
Nono said: "Ever since they started trading in March I've had law 
enforcement asking me to leave. I've never had that before. people support 
me and enjoy my music."

The couple have since obtained an interim protection order from the Western 
Cape High Court, which says he can trade from 10am until 4pm. Nono said: 
"How am I suppose to make money if I work for less than two hours in the 
afternoon?"

Police spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Andre Traut said Nono had opened a case 
of malicious damage to property at the Cape Town Central police station on 
Monday.
"The circumstances are currently under investigation. No one has been 
charged yet."
Tony Ehrenreich, the secretary of Cosatu in the Western Cape and a city 
councillor, called for Smith's suspension.
He said the ruling DA had no regard for poor people or knowledge of how to 
"engage them respectfully". It was this attitude of treating people's 
frustration with disregard that led to "desperate acts of poo-throwing".
"Smith should be suspended from leading the municipal police until a full 
investigation is completed into this whole sordid affair," Ehrenreich said.

nontando.mposo at inl.co.za
Cape Argus

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