Fury over Kiffness concert at Kirstenbosch spills into protests

The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), Mothers4Gaza, and allied organisations have accused the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) and Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden of violating constitutional and institutional values by allowing musician David Scott, popularly known as The Kiffness, to perform at a publicly funded venue.

The groups said they were “deeply disappointed” that SANBI and Kirstenbosch had, despite their objections, allowed the concert to proceed.

They argue that SANBI’s decision undermines the inclusive ethos traditionally associated with the annual Kirstenbosch summer concert series.

“SANBI’s choice of a pro-Israel public figure to headline an annual inclusive concert at Kirstenbosch is an effort to alienate and exclude a significant number of Capetonians and visitors to the city,” the organisations said.

While acknowledging Scott’s constitutional right to freedom of expression, the organisations said his public positions made him unsuitable for a state-funded platform.

“While David Scott is entitled to freedom of speech under our constitution, he is an outspoken defender of military action against the people of Gaza. In addition, he is a defiant racist who peddles his unconstitutional and hurtful views on social media,” they said.

According to the organisations, SANBI’s actions are inconsistent with its own stated values, which include Ubuntu, respect and tolerance, accountability and transformation.

“The SANBI decision to allow the concert to take place violates the Values, especially in relation to respect, accountability and transformation,” the organisations said.

They further accused SANBI of promoting division rather than social cohesion.

“SANBI, a state-funded entity, has chosen to platform an individual with a documented record of promoting racial hostility, Islamophobia, and views that undermine our nation’s hard-won social cohesion,” said organisations.

“This is not about ‘free speech’; it is about the state’s positive duty to protect citizens from dignitary harm and to foster unity, not division.”

The groups also criticised SANBI’s response to ongoing protests at Kirstenbosch, claiming management had adopted a heavy-handed security approach.

“While thanking us for our peaceful Tuesday protests, SANBI management has simultaneously engaged in a duplicitous campaign to vilify us,” they said, alleging that the garden had been “securitised not to protect the public, but to protect a right-wing agenda and to exclude ordinary South Africans and peaceful dissent”.

In addition, the organisations took aim at the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, accusing the Minister of prioritising the artist over civil society.

“The Minister’s decision to engage directly with The Kiffness before meeting with representative civil society organisations is a disgraceful illustration of where their loyalties lie,” the organisations said.

The PSC, Mothers4Gaza and their partners are demanding that SANBI and Kirstenbosch cancel the concert and issue an apology.

They confirmed that they have approached the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), the Presidency and several government departments to intervene.

“Because of SANBI’s conduct, our peaceful weekly Tuesday protests at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden will continue and intensify,” the organisations warned.

“We will hold SANBI’s management accountable for this failure of ethical and constitutional governance on their doorstep.”

The organisations have called on members of the public to join them at Kirstenbosch on Tuesday, December 30, saying they aim “to reject the attempts to drag our nation back to a bitter, divisive, and hateful past”.

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