MEDIA STATEMENT

The Soul City Institute: Death of Kid Mokoena

Soul City to dedicate remaining episodes to Kid Mokoena’s memory

Tuesday, 16 October 2007: It is with deep shock and regret that the Soul City Institute has learnt of the death of Kid Mokoena who played the role of ‘Thulasizwe’, a taxi driver, on the current Soul City Series which is broadcast Tuesdays at 8.30pm on SABC1.

The remaining episodes of Soul City Series 8 will be dedicated to Kid Mokoena’s memory. He will be sadly missed by the Soul City family. Our hope is that his murder will continue to inspire the Soul City Institute and its partners to continue working for a safer and healthier South Africa.

Rates of fatal violence in South Africa are amongst the highest in the world and the country is sometimes referred to as having ‘a culture of violence’ in which violence becomes the accepted norm in resolving disputes. All in society need to act to change these norms.

There are more males dying from violent crime than females, and more are perpetrators too. This is often tied into concepts of masculinity and the use of drugs and alcohol. Programmes aimed at reducing violent behaviour amongst males should be a national priority.

Consequently, the Soul City Institute has plans for a 5 year campaign to reduce violence, initially focusing on alcohol reduction and parenting skills development.

Dr William Mapham the series manager says, “I met Kid during the production of the series and I still have his business card in my wallet. It says: ‘we do it with passion’. He was passionate about his role as ‘Thulasizwe’ and always looked for ways to contribute to the greater team effort.”

The role of ‘Thulasizwe’ shows a man who is inspired to use his status as a taxi driver to help pregnant women get to hospital safely. It shows how a man of peace can become a leader in his community to create a safer and healthier environment for women and children.

Mapham continues, “Getting to know Kid in the role of a peaceful and responsible Thulasizwe makes his violent death even more shocking. He will be sadly missed by the Soul City family. His untimely death will continue to inspire the Soul City Institute to continue working for a safer and healthier South Africa. Our thoughts are with Kid’s family.”

The latest South African police statistics released in 2006/07 confirmed that violent crime is on the increase. This upward trend is disappointing particularly in view of the promising decreases since 2002/03. Murder and aggravated robbery are the two violent crimes that seem to be increasing.

One proactive contribution the police can make is by creating a credible deterrent through effective and efficient investigations. They need to create the belief in the minds of criminals that they will be caught. We all can contribute to decreasing violent crime by decreasing alcohol consumption, employing non-violent dispute resolution methods, reporting illegal firearms and assisting police in apprehending known criminals. ENDS

For further information or for photos of Kid Mokoena in his role as Thulasizwe, please contact Mpume Ncube of Onyx Marketing Communications mpume@onyxmarketing.co.za / 083 222 5184