Popular Nigerian Afrobeat singer, Burna Boy, has sworn never to set foot on South Africa till its government stops the persistent xenophobic attacks on foreign nationals, especially Nigerians, living in the country.
The singer, who was clearly displeased with the ongoing attacks on African immigrants and destruction of their properties, said this in a statement posted on Instagram on Wednesday.
He wrote, “Today, after watching the killing of my people in South Africa, the same way we have all watched it happen a few times in the past. I personally have had my own xenophobic experiences in the hands of South Africans and because of that I have not set my foot on South Africa since 2017.
“I will not ever go to South Africa again for any reason until the South African Government wakes up and really performs a miracle. I don’t know how they can possibly fix this.”
Earlier, another Nigerian singer, Tiwa Savage, announced on Twitter that she was pulling out of a concert scheduled to be held in South Africa in a few days, in reaction to the fresh wave of violence and looting targeted at foreigners in parts of South Africa.
She had tweeted, “I refuse to watch the barbaric butchering of my people in SA. This is SICK. For this reason I will NOT be performing at the upcoming DSTV delicious Festival in Johannesburg on the 21st of September. My prayers are with all the victims and families affected by this.”
Also reacting to the xenophobic attacks, standup comedian, Basketmouth, announced on Instagram that he would boycott an event scheduled for the coming weekend in South Africa.
“I am not sure how and when we got here. I won’t be attending the Comics Choice Awards this weekend in South Africa as scheduled. It might sound like a whisper, but together our voices and the right actions will hopefully make a true difference. And real change can begin,” he wrote.
