Malian music icon, Salif Keita, has cancelled his upcoming commercial performances in South Africa over concerns about reported xenophobic violence against African migrants.
Keita announced the decision in an open letter, saying he could not ignore reports of attacks and violence against Africans from other countries living in South Africa.
The singer described the decision to cancel the performances as painful but necessary.
“I cannot ignore the reports of xenophobic violence against our African brothers and sisters,” Keita said.
He stressed that the decision was not a rejection of South Africa or its people but a response to concerns over violence directed at migrants from other African countries.
“To be clear — I am not closing the door on South Africa. I am closing the door on violence,” he said.
Keita also expressed concern about the treatment of African migrants who travel across borders in search of employment, safety and better opportunities.
“When I see migrants being attacked, I don’t see ‘politics.’ I see people searching for work, safety, and dignity.
“That does not match the South Africa I know — the South Africa that stood firm with Mali, and the South Africa that Nelson Mandela built,” he said.
Keita’s manager, Carolina Vallejo of One World Records, confirmed the cancellation of the planned performances to AFP on Wednesday.
The development follows recent anti-migrant protests in parts of South Africa, during which some demonstrators reportedly called for the expulsion of Black African migrants from the country.
Keita has maintained a longstanding connection with South Africa and its anti-apartheid history.
In 1988, he performed at the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute concert at Wembley Stadium in London, an event that drew global attention to the anti-apartheid struggle.
