The Congress of South African Trade Unions welcomes the announcement by Ladysmith Black Mambazo that they are not scheduled to play in Israel.

COSATU was concerned that the name of South African cultural workers would be manipulatively used in the propaganda campaign to normalise and legitimise the apartheid Israeli regime. The state of Israel is desperate to smokescreen itself as a free and democratic state. Nothing could be further from the truth. Israel uses artists, musicians and other cultural workers as part of a campaign to 'brand' Israel, a campaign launched by the government and promoted by institutions throughout the world in order to whitewash Israel’s violations of human rights and international law and to project a false image of normality.

Romeo Qetsimani, PR Manager of Ladysmith Black Mambazo says,  "It has been recently rumoured that Ladysmith Black Mambazo will be performing in Israel on 24 June 2011. As the PR Manager of LBM, I have called this press conference to clarify that LBM will not be performing in Israel. Furthermore, during the said period we are in the UK. We would like to categorically state that we have not been in communication with any Israeli organisers and we have no idea where these rumours come from.

"Ladysmith Black Mambazo distances itself from the misinformation being spread by Israeli advertisers that we will be performing in Tel Aviv. It seems that Israeli organisers have acted in bad faith, sold tickets and misused our name, in claiming that our singers will be performing at the Tel Aviv Opera House."