While the pirated CDs and DVDs available on every street corner are irresistibly cheap, Grahamstown businesspeople warn that buying them is not only illegal, but harms local artists in the long term too.
While the pirated CDs and DVDs available on every street corner are irresistibly cheap, Grahamstown businesspeople warn that buying them is not only illegal, but harms local artists in the long term too.
A customer at a local street vendor, Timothy Nawe, said he rarely bought CD or DVD originals, because the pirated ones were as good as the real ones, and far cheaper. The Nigerian vendor whom he was buying from, who identified himself only as "Nick", defended selling pirated goods because he said it was the only way for him to put food on the table.
Mark Whitnall, manager of the Musica shop at Pepper Grove Mall, warned that besides affecting the economy, selling or buying pirated DVDs and CDs was a crime. He said it affected the ability of South African artists to reach the international market, because most of them would only end-up being exposed locally, and not abroad.
Selma Chrisjan, of the Mr Video rental shop in High Street, also said that supporting such crime was illegal. She felt that pirated DVDs damaged the name of shops like Mr Video, because sometimes customers came into the shop asking for movies that they had seen the illegal vendors selling, but that the shop did not have.
Grahamstown SAPS spokesperson captain Mali Govender insisted that people must not buy pirated DVDs and CDs because it is criminal offence. She said that people must go to the right places to buy legal copies, and that it is also necessary to support local artists. She claimed that large numbers of people have been arrested in connection with pirated goods.
If anyone suspects or witnesses illegal activities like these, Govender said they must not hesitate to call the police on 046 603 9111.
