Times Of Swaziland: ACAESWA E500 SUBSCRIPTION UNPACKED

ACAESWA E500 SUBSCRIPTION UNPACKED
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Mxolisi Dlamini on 06/06/2023 08:12:00


MBABANE – The Association of Christian Artists of Eswatini (ACAESWA) charges
artists an annual subscription of E500.
According to the Oxford Dictionary, a subscription is the act of making or
agreeing to make an advance payment in order to receive or participate in
something. ACAESWA is an association for Christian artists locally, with the
main aim of grooming and exposing Gospel artists to relevant stages. The
association is currently operating under the leadership of Mcolisi Vilakati
after Gospel musician Phetsile Masilela stepped down in February this year. The
current President, Vilakati, shared with this publication that the E500
subscription helps in the execution of workshops and events for artists.
President Mxolisi Vilakati
The association works exactly as a union; its mandate is to protect the
interests of members. The E500 is only meant to revive membership. If there are
events that are within the calendar of the association, the first preference
goes to the members who have subscribed. When we host Gospel awards, we do it
for members who are in good standing. This is also the same for national events;
when the country or Home Affairs needs artists, we provide them with members who
are in good standing,” Vilakati said. He went on to unpack some of the
benefits that come with the E500 annual subscription and further encouraged
artists for subscribe to the association.
“The subscription does not only cater for artists when it comes to events.
There are duties that the association does on behalf of artist subscriptions: We
do legal representation for the artists, we workshop the artists, we protect
their interests, and we also protect them against piracy. In the country, the
association works as an affiliate of the Eswatini ‘National Council of Arts
and Culture. We have a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a number of
different companies,” said the president. He went on to say that they are
currently working with Destiny Group for the MTN iPraise, where first preference
will be given to members who have subscribed when they want to have access to
their artists.
He further said they will give the subscribed artists the platform, as they
don’t want anyone to be left behind. “There are a number of companies with
which we have a memorandum of understanding, and we would like to encourage
artists, including upcoming ones, to join the association because the platforms
avail themselves, and we know that this is something that is always available,
so we want to give it to artists,” Vilakati said.
Nothado Dlamini
Gospel musician Nothado Dlamini only subscribed last year. She said that a
majority of artists are still lacking funds locally, and this leads to fewer
members subscribing. “I am still new in terms of membership because I was only
able to subscribe last year; I have not yet subscribed for this year. A majority
of us as artists still don’t have enough money to maintain subscriptions. They
would usually engage us via the association group that we have, where they would
plead with us to subscribe because very few members usually do. As artists in
the country we are still struggling. The struggle is not only about giving out
the E500; it goes beyond that. In South Africa, musicians are getting royalties,
which is money that can assist them in making subscriptions. If we were to also
get that kind of money, we would be able to always subscribe,” the musician
said.
Sphiwo Ndoni
Gospel musician Sphiwo Ndoni, who has shared the stage with the likes of Rebecca
Malope, Nduduzo Matse, Takie Ndou, Thinas Zungu as well as Sbu Noah says that he
believes that the association can do much better as he has been able to benefit
from it. “If I remember very well, I have been a member since 2015. I think I
have benefitted from being a member. Well I still believe that the association
can do much better in future for the local artists. I do encourage that we all
subscribe to the association I think that will help the organisation to be able
to execute all the plans they have,” Ndoni said.
Linda Dlamini
Gospel musician Linda Dlamini is one of the artists who were once members of
ACAESWA for several years. He shared with this publication that the subscription
worked for him at some point. “I was once a member of ACAESWA for five years.
I think previously, the subscription worked for me, especially when the
association had to recommend artists for an event.
I would get bookings, but not as many, as bookings were only two per cent. Just
because ACAESWA is a local organisation that works with artists, I would say
that it is necessary for artists as well as upcoming artists to subscribe and
become members of the association. “There are issues that are there in the
association, but then tibi tendlu,” Dlamini said.
Mpela Mndawe
Gospel musician Mpela Mndawe shared with this publication that subscribing to
the association has helped him as he has been able to receive various
invitations as an artist, which was motivated by the association. “I am
actually a member of the association, and it’s been two years now. Being a
member of the association has helped me a lot, as this is an entity that looks
at the needs of artists. They once helped us get an invitation for a show that
featured South African artists; there were four of us, if I remember very well.
With these words, I am trying to say the subscription is very helpful; they are
able to make things happen as well as handle your office work as an artist.”
Mpela went on to say that the association further promotes you as an artist.
According to him, he would definitely encourage other artists to subscribe to
the association, as this will help expose their talent. Mndawe concluded by
saying that the association is one of the entities that probed the royalties
issue, so if the royalties are sorted and one is not a member, they will miss
out on a lot of things as an artist.