February 10, 2022
Hip hop rōpū stuck in Dubai
The Māori Party is asking whether the Government is doing enough for rangatahi in one of the country’s top hip-hop dance crews stranded in Dubai.
Parris Goebel’s The Royal Family, three times winners of the World Hip Hop Dance Championship, was set for three shows last week at the New Zealand Expo 2020 pavillion until about 20 of the 50 members tested positive for Covid-19.
Māori Party co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer says while some members who tested negative at the time were able to return to Aotearoa, the rest are in isolation in Dubai.
She says whānau are frustrated at the lack of information coming from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, so she’s asking Minister Nanaia Mahuta to take action.
“This isn’t about politics. This is about making sure that when government invites our rangatahi to a kaupapa, they bring them home safely and ensure that their tamariki are safe. This is a kaupapa that is about our Māori rangatahi and their passion and it showcases Aotearoa so we need to make sure that when our rangatahi are put up for something that the government follows through and gets them back safely, them and the organisers,” Ms Ngarewa Packer says.
Minister Nanaia Mahuta’s office has been contacted for a response.
Dubai requires a negative Covid test 72 hours before departure.