Independent
On-line, 22 November 2002, P Diddy wows Khayelitsha crowds
Thousands
of people turned out to get a glimpse of American rapper Sean "P
Diddy" Combs at a shopping centre in Khayelitsha on Friday.
The rap star flew into Cape
Town
ahead of the MTV Staying Alive concert at Green Point Stadium on Saturday night
where he will perform with Usher and Alicia Keys.
When P Diddy arrived the crowds, who waited for him for over an hour, went wild
- but they were kept waiting a little while longer when the rapper visited the Khayelitsha
Hospital
across the road to see a project for HIV-positive pregnant women called Mother
to Mothers to Be.
Cuddling a baby he told the women that he admired them for their perseverance
and courage. He said he would be happy to do whatever he could to help them.
As P Diddy left the hospital surrounded by his bodyguards, many of his impatient
fans pushed and shoved to get a glimpse of him.
Surrounded by hundreds of people, he made his way to a stage in the shopping
centre where he told the crowds he was happy to be in South
Africa.
"I love you my brother and sisters."
He then handed out a few tickets for the concert to eager young fans.
One of them, Mncebisi Kala, said: "I was so surprised when he shouted 'Hey
you with the red T-shirt come up here, this ticket is for you'.
"I have never been to a concert before. I love P Diddy, I will definitely
be there tomorrow night."
Tonight's concert forms part of a six-month MTV campaign focusing on the key
issues of Aids awareness, discrimination and youth empowerment.
Cape
Town
's
concert will be part of a 90-minute show beamed to two billion people across the
world on December 1, World Aids Day.