An opera about late South African president Nelson Mandela has been cancelled after three performances for lack of financing, producer Unathi Mtirara said on Tuesday.
Madiba: The African Opera had its premiere at the State Theatre in Pretoria on Friday.
Mtirara - a great-grandnephew of Mandela - attributed the collapse of the opera to South Africa’s National Lottery Board, which he said was practically its only sponsor.
The NLB had initially promised producers 11 million rand (1.06 million dollars), but then cut that sum down to 2.8 million rand, which was paid late, he complained.
NLB spokesman Sershan Naidoo said the board was not responsible for the cancellation of the opera.
The grant of 2.8 million rand was paid within the standard administrative period, he said, adding that the NLB was sponsoring too many different activities to give more to the opera.
The opera tells the story of the early life of the iconic anti-apartheid leader, who died in December at the age 95.
It was supposed to be staged at Mandela’s birth village and final resting place in Qunu before touring South Africa and heading overseas.
“The opera shows that Mandela was only a human being like the rest of us,” Mr. Mtirara said, adding he would continue looking for sponsors.
