He said that he was sorry he was not able to play in South Africa on his last tour but that he would be coming and playing in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg in January 1997.Note: If viewing Michael Jackson Ultimate Archive on archive.org (Wayback Machine), please view the latest snapshot of this page for the most up-to-date information and media.
Sun City Press Conference
Transcript
“First, I would like to say, sincerely, from the bottom of my heart, you have no idea how happy and honored I am to be here in South Africa. The people here have been so kind to me… their love, their generosity, the hospitality has been overwhelming…[…] I mean, I’m saying this from the bottom of my heart, ‘cause I really mean it. And I’m not wearing these glasses to be Mr. Cool, I wear these glasses because this is like a facade, so you won’t see the tears… [voice trails off] I’m so happy to be here and you all have been so wonderful to me and I want to thank you so much and I – I thank you for coming to Sun City… I would like to take this opportunity to thank President Nelson Mandela and the wonderful people of South Africa… for this gracious, really gracious welcome to your wonderful country. I just love it.. I love it so much, I’m thinking about a house to buy here [laughs]… I would like to thank the wonderful wonderful (inaudible) and his staff and his hospitality and hosting this conference. And I’m sorry I was not able to play in South Africa days previously, because I was so much looking forward to coming here. But now I am really excited about bringing the HIStory Tour – a brand new show, the HIStory Tour, to South Africa. We are in negotiations right now, but we’re planning [to tour in] South Africa in mid January, 1997, in Capetown, in Durban and Johannesburg. My promoter, Mr. Marcel Avram, is here today to announce additional dates and answer any questions you may have regarding the HIStory World Tour. I love you from the bottom of my heart [voice trails off] and I thank you so much for your wonderful wonderful –” (Footage cuts off)
But all along, it was not evident exactly what Jackson was doing here. This was supposed to be cleared up at a Friday press conference in Sun City. Speculation, reported almost as fact, centered on plans for Jackson bringing in a Middle Eastern partner to develop a theme park as part of the Sun City complex.
It made sense. When Sun City was developed as sort of a mini-Las Vegas, its builders took advantage of its location in one of the allegedly independent black homelands to make it a gambling mecca.
But in the new South Africa, without the homelands that were designed to deny South African citizenship to blacks, gambling will eventually be available in 40 casinos across the country. Sun City needs more than its hundreds of slot machines, its two golf courses, its fake Lost City kingdom, its artificial wave lake and its variety of hotels to induce people to make the two-hour drive from Johannesburg.
So hundreds of reporters, most making that drive, came to the ballroom to chronicle Jackson's re-entry into South African culture. The back of the hall was filled by a phalanx of TV cameras, the likes of which had not been seen since Mandela declared victory after the 1994 elections. Public relations types whispered breathlessly that this was one of the few press conferences Jackson had ever given, as stern-faced security guards scanned the crowd from the edges of the stage.
Jackson music pounded out of a sound system. The lights dimmed. A Jackson video played on the big screen. A Jackson staffer came out and announced the ground rules. No rushing of the stage by photographers. Anyone who did so would be dealt with severely. A welcome from the general manager of Sun City. An introduction of the world's greatest recording artist.
Then there he was, every fleck of pancake makeup perfectly in place, a strand of hair coming out from under his black hat draped across his forehead, lips colored ruby red, [with a] pseudo-military outfit.
First he went to one side of the stage and waved at photographers. Then he did the same on the other side. Then he stood behind the microphone.
"First I would like to say something sincerely from the bottom of my heart, how happy I am to be here in South Africa," he said. He spoke of the warm greeting he had received wherever he went, the love he felt from the people.
"These sunglasses are not to make me look cool, they are a facade so you will not have to see my tears," he said, his voice choking with emotion as he described his feelings for South Africa. "I like it so much I'm looking for a house here."
He said that he was sorry he was not able to play in South Africa on his last tour but that he would be coming and playing in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg in January 1997.
Then that was that. Jackson left the stage. No questions. No theme park. His promoter came up and started reading off concert dates in places like Bucharest, Seoul and New Delhi. Suddenly Sun City management types said they didn't know from any planned theme park. There was nothing in the works. Couldn't imagine where anyone had gotten that idea.
In the time it took to drive back to Johannesburg, the city's afternoon daily had hit the streets. Across the top of its front page, a huge headline screamed, "Jackson to perform in three SA cities."