Renowned Xitsonga disco music legend, reality TV show star and former ANC councillor, Erick Nkovani, popularly known as Papa Penny.
Renowned Xitsonga disco music legend and reality TV show star, Papa Penny now sings a deferent political tune.
Erick Nkovani, a former African National Congress (ANC) councilor has recently joined the uMkhonto weSizwe Party popularly known as MK Party and is confident that his party has the capability to unseat the ruling party during next week’s general elections.
Nkovani resigned as an ANC member and councilor in the Greater Giyani Municipality and Mopani District Municipality last week. Nkovani tendered his resignation as an ANC PR councilor and branch chairperson on the 14th of May.
Sources close to the musician-cum-politician claim he was ill-treated when he was still an ANC councilor.
One source anonymously said “Papa Penny was a staunch member of the ANC and has been sidelined by those at the helm. Issues like boreholes in his areas were a headache for him, and whenever he raised his concerns, the leaders’ answers were allegedly a contradiction to his mandate. He felt former [former president and MKP leader Jacob Zuma] can hopefully listen to his cries if he gets into power and attend to the demands of his community” said another source.
He made headlines when videos of him at the MK’s rally this past weekend started circulating on social media.
Nkovani said despite serving in the ANC as a leader for over a decade, his contribution was never valued.
“When I was still in the ANC, for 40 years, they never saw the importance of Penny Penny, stopping me to work for community, blocking everything that I’m doing for community (sic). The road that you saw when you came, (it wasn’t there) until President Zuma came, and he gave (it) the community of Limpopo. There was no money at that time. They had disbanded the ANC structure in Limpopo. President Zuma came, and he gave us the road. That is why it is the party that I think I can join,” said Nkovani.
Meanwhile, spokesperson of the ANC in the Norman Mashabane Region, Peter Ngobeni says they are not worried that Papa Penny left the party because he benefitted more than he contributed to the party.
“Mr Nkovani just leaves the ANC with colourful sharp nose shoes, his obnoxious hairstyles and his regurgitated songs that are not appealing really to this generation. If you are to talk about the quality of the membership, the ANC has not lost anything. But in terms of quantity, we have lost one member,” says Ngobeni.
Nkovani says he has gained enemies in the governing party following his failed bid to become the provincial chairperson and ultimately becoming premier – but said he won’t bash the ANC in public.
Papa Penny during one of his performances.