By Scott Waide – EMTV News, Port Moresby
Papua New Guinean reggae artist, Anslom Nakikus, has paid an important tribute to Johnny Clegg, one of the most influential South African musicians of the apartheid era.
Speaking from Port Moresby, Anslom said he was saddened and shocked by the passing of the legendary anthropologist, campaigner and musician.
Anslom, recently began working out of South Africa with the band of the late South African reggae great, Lucky Dube, and was keen to have Clegg feature in one of his songs if possible.
“I am thinking of all the wonderful things he did for Africa and the world. Imagine a white person standing up against his own in an era of racial segregation.
“It is unfortunate for me that I didn’t get to meet him in person. If I had the opportunity earlier and if they were still alive, I would have met all three of them – Nelson Mandela, Lucky Dube and Johnny Clegg,” Anslom said.
Tributes continue to flow from fans and musicians all over the world. Johnny Clegg died on July 16th in Johannesburg after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.
For three decades, Clegg actively campaigned against South Africa’s apartheid policy also drawing attention to the unjust imprisonment of Nelson Mandela.
“He is an icon. He used music as a positive force to drive the country forward. Being in South Africa, getting to know more about the history and the culture, it is really sad for me.
“These are people who put down their lives for the country. At the end of my life, I hope to be remembered as a person who put his life down for the country.”
