Burna Boy, AKA, YCee & More Get In a Heated Exchange Surrounding Xenophobic Attacks in South Africa
Burna Boy: "I have not set foot in SA since 2017. And I will NOT EVER go to South Africa again for any reason until the SOUTH AFRICAN government wakes the f**k up."
As we've been reporting, South Africa is currently embroiled in violent xenophobic attacks. As out Johannesburg-based staff writer Rufaro Samanga writes:
"The center of Johannesburg is currently a surreal sight. Cars have been torched, businesses broken into and ransacked, foreign nationals are being violently attacked and police are admittedly struggling to maintain order. Just a week after xenophobic attacks erupted in Pretoria and two months after Nigerians were being attacked in Hillbrow, the country is experiencing yet another spate of xenophobic attacks which began yesterday. According to EWN, two people have been confirmed dead, including a woman who was shot at close range. A hundred others have been arrested thus far."
"The reasons for the xenophobic attacks echo the pervasive anti-immigrant sentiment around the world. In a country with growing inequality, unemployment and poverty, many disenfranchised South Africans feel that foreign nationals are responsible for the lack of job opportunities and increasing crime."
Star musicians are now weighing in on the matter, with some heated exchanges taking place between big Nigerian artists like Burna Boy and Ycee and South Africa's AKA and Babes Wodumo, among several others.
Read: Sho Madjozi Accuses Organizers of 'Africans Unite' of Using Xenophobia as a 'Marketing Ploy'
The exchanges seemed to have started when YCee tweeted his opinion about South African feelings towards Nigerians, citing AKA's tweets back when South Africa lost in the AFCON quarterfinals earlier this year to Nigeria.
From there, it escalated to receive responses from AKA and M.I Abaga, as well as a strong string of tweets from Burna Boy, who stated: "I have not set foot in SA since 2017. And I will NOT EVER go to South Africa again for any reason until the SOUTH AFRICAN government wakes the fuck up and really performs A miracle because I don't know how they can even possibly fix this."
Read all the exchanges below.
- The 'Africans Unite' Concert Has Been Cancelled - OkayAfrica ›
- South African Artists Against Burna Boy Performing at 'Africans Unite ... ›
- Burna Boy to Donate Proceeds from Upcoming Show In South Africa ... ›
- South Africa is Currently Embroiled in Violent Xenophobic Attacks ... ›
- Sho Madjozi Breaks Down the Complexities of Xenophobia in South ... ›
- Listen to Babes Wodumo’s Sophomore Album ‘Idandokazi’ - OkayAfrica ›
- AKA Releases New Single 'Casino' Featuring Sho Madjozi and Flvme - OkayAfrica ›
- AKA Releases New Single 'Casino' Featuring Sho Madjozi and Flvme - OkayAfrica ›
- AKA's 'Bhovamania' Decoded - OkayAfrica ›
- Watch Ycee's New Music Video For 'Vacancy' - OkayAfrica ›
- Burna Boy Will No Longer Perform at the Jo'burg Edition of This Year's Afropunk - Okayplayer ›
- Protesters Interrupted President Buhari's State Visit with President Ramaphosa - OkayAfrica ›
- South Africa has Apologized to Nigeria for the Recent Xenophobic Violence - OkayAfrica ›
- The Nigerian Government is Evacuating it's Citizens from South Africa - OkayAfrica ›
- Understanding South Africa’s Violent Inferiority Complex - OkayAfrica ›
- Zambian Radio Station Bans South African Music - Okayplayer ›
- Tiwa Savage Cancels Upcoming South African Performance Amidst Xenophobic Attacks - OkayAfrica ›
- Dear South Africa, Nigerians Aren't the Problem, Criminals Are - OkayAfrica ›