The South African government has denied claims that Nigerian singer Ayra Starr and members of her team were refused visas to enter the country.
The South African Consul-General to Nigeria, Prof. Bobby Moroe, dismissed the allegation in an interview on Friday, saying the country’s immigration authorities had no record of any visa application or rejection involving the singer or her entourage.
Moroe, however, called on those making the allegations to provide the names of the affected persons and their visa application reference numbers to enable the mission verify the claims.
“We have no record of any visa application or rejection involving Ayra Starr or members of her team. Anyone making such claims should provide the relevant details for verification,” he said.
The consul-general’s reaction followed calls by some Nigerian public figures for the Federal Government to adopt a reciprocal approach to visa applications involving South African artistes.
Former Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole and the Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, had urged the Federal Government to review visa requests from South African entertainers in line with the principle of reciprocity.
Akpoti-Uduaghan said that if it was confirmed that Ayra Starr and her team were previously denied South African visas, leading to the cancellation of scheduled performances, Nigeria should consider taking equivalent measures until its citizens and artistes receive fair treatment.
Reports had claimed that Ayra Starr and members of her team were allegedly denied visas in February 2024 ahead of planned performances in Johannesburg and Cape Town.
The organisers of the concerts, Steyn Entertainment, had attributed the cancellation of the shows to the alleged visa denial.
The South African mission, however, maintained that there was no official record to support the allegation and urged those involved to submit verifiable documentation for investigation. (NAN)
