MissKeys

Gangsta rapper Snoop Dogg's no-show at the Freedom Day concert in Johannesburg on Thursday night will cost organisers millions as they scramble to put together the remaining concerts in Durban and Cape Town.

Snoop Dogg and his entourage were released on bail from custody in England on Thursday and were to arrive in South Africa on Friday.

Snoop, whose real name is Calvin Broadus, 34, was set to take part in the People's Celebration concert with newcomer Mario, ragga star Sean Paul and producer Pharrell Williams, but he couldn't after he was arrested at Heathrow Airport in London.

The organisers had to give spectators a 25 percent refund. Big Concert's Attie van Wyk said he was aware they were going to lose money but could not say how much.

"We don't want the public to lose anything. That is why we have offered people a 25 percent refund."

The rapper and five other members of his entourage were released late on Thursday from Heathrow Police Station on police bail after being arrested earlier in the day.

The release was effected after former president Nelson Mandela's daughter, Zinzi Mandela, apparently approached the department of foreign affairs to get him out of the cells.

Foreign affairs spokesperson Ronnie Mamoepa said that they had been contacted by Mandela after Snoop had been arrested.

"We were drawn in and were asked to intervene in the matter," he said.

When the Daily News contacted Mandela on Thursday night, she said: "I'd rather not comment."

Attempts to contact her this morning to get more details on her involvement were unsuccessful.

A London Metropolitan police spokesperson said this morning that the six men had been released and they would have to report back to a police station when requested.

When asked whether there had been any intervention by the South African government, he said: "You'll have to speak to the (British) foreign office."

The People's Celebration Concert will go ahead as planned at Durban's Absa Stadium tomorrow. However, thousands of fans in Johannesburg were left disappointed when Snoop did not perform at their concert. Only 8 000 attended that concert.

Yateen Jivan, 19, said he was very "naar", but it was okay.

"It's not that bad because of the 25 percent discount people would be receiving, and I'm more of a Sean Paul fan," he said.

Celesteine Moses, 23, said she was pleased that Snoop would be able to make his way to Durban.

"I've been looking forward to this concert ever since I heard about it and I'm glad that Snoop is going to perform. It's a pity about the ruckus, though," she said.

Meanwhile, Computicket has been inundated with phone calls from disappointed fans, many of whom had bought tickets just to see Snoop. "We've had plenty of calls from sad fans. Many of them said that they would not be attending the concert," said a source from a Computicket outlet.

Ticketholders who did not attend the concert were given a full refund on presentation of their ticket, while those who attended were given a 25 percent refund on presentation of their ticket stub.

The concert will take place on Monday in Cape Town.

According to one report, members of the star's entourage had hurled bottles of whisky and argued with staff at a duty-free shop at Heathrow Airport after being refused entry to a first-class lounge.

But Johannesburg resident Kelly Salvage, who was on the same flight from Los Angeles to London with Snoop Dogg, said a dispute over a boarding pass was the reason for the rapper's arrest.

He said the star's entourage was a few minutes from boarding the Johannesburg flight when the trouble started.

He said: "We were in the VIP lounge and Snoop was with his entourage, rapping about everything... Then a police officer came to where the group was and said, 'We wanna have a word with you, Sir' and that was when he stopped rapping and said, 'What's up?'. He and his entourage were refused permission to board."

As reported by IOL