Digicel changes horse race date following concerns by Afro-Guyanese groups

Last Updated on Saturday, 26 December 2015, 21:01 by GxMedia

In the wake of concerns by several African Guyanese organisations about a horse race meet being scheduled for August 1-Emancipation Day- Digicel (Guyana) on Thursday announced that it would be rescheduling the equestrian event to later next month.

“We spoke with the organisers and we are happy to move the horse race meet to August 11,” Chief Executive Officer of Digicel (Guyana), Gregory Dean told Demerara Waves Online News (www.demwaves.com).

He added that the decision was taken after listening to the concerns.

Dean’s announcement came just hours after several African Guyanese organisations had expressed fears that the horse race meet would have rivaled the Emacipation celebrations.

The Corriverton African Committee, No53 Union Renaissance group, Brighton, Eversham, Liverpool Youths in Progress, Manchester, Kildonan Concern Citizens group, The Limlair Interest Group, The Mandingo group of Nurney, Alness, Salton,  The Rose Hall Town Emancipation Concerned Citizens Group, The Jesseme Cultural group of Fyrish, A number of churches , the East Canje African Group, Sandvort , House of Naiabinge,  Congo Naya,  Revival Awareness And Perpetuation of African Culture (RAPAC), The Council of Friends  of New Amsterdam (CAFONA), Ex GDF organisations in Berbice, Eli Hazel called ‘Shackles Man’, who is the founder of Unity of the Nation, as well as several other African groups on the West Coast of Berbice at Hopetown, Belladrum,  Ithaca and Litchfield had added their voices to raise concern at the initial decision by the mobile phone provider.

Digicel (Guyana) is joining with the Kennard Memorial Turf Club (KMTC) to organise the multi-million dollar event.

The groups and individuals had lamented that Digicel, as a national entity, should have been more sensitive and taken into consideration that Emancipation Day is a day that Africans were liberated from slavery.

“They should have been more circumspect in jumping on the bandwagon of the KMTC and organise something of such magnitude to rival whatever celebration Africans would be having on that day,” the associations said.

The Berbice African Guyanese entities noted that Emancipation Day is set aside for African Guyanese to celebrate their victory over one of the worst form of human injustices perpetrated on man.