South African Consul-General to Nigeria, Prof. Bobby Moroe, has explained that Nigerian singer Ayra Starr was initially denied a South African visa in 2024 because of an inappropriate yellow fever certificate submitted with her application.
Moroe said the visa issue, which occurred in February 2024, was unrelated to Starr’s nationality, personality or status as a prominent artiste.
The diplomat spoke amid renewed controversy over South Africa’s immigration policies and calls by some Nigerians for South African singer Tyla to be denied entry into Nigeria.
Some Nigerians had cited the earlier visa issue involving Starr while reacting to reports that Tyla was scheduled to perform in Nigeria as part of her tour.
Moroe, however, told The PUNCH that the circumstances surrounding Starr’s visa rejection had been misrepresented.
According to him, Starr’s team submitted a yellow fever certificate from another country instead of the certificate required from her country of origin.
“One of the challenges was that they did not submit an appropriate yellow fever certificate. They submitted the yellow fever certificate of another country when they were supposed to submit the yellow fever certificate of their home country,” he said.
The consul-general said the matter was subsequently resolved after the South African mission engaged Starr’s team and clarified the requirements.
He added that the singer was eventually granted a one-year visa and performed in South Africa in 2024.
“Subsequently, the matter was resolved amicably and they were granted a one-year visa to go and perform in South Africa in 2024, and I think that was what they forgot to mention,” Moroe said.
He questioned the relevance of the 2024 visa issue to the current developments, describing attempts to link the two situations as potentially divisive.
“I do not see the relevance of that rejection to the development of today, except for using that rejection to sow division,” he said.
Moroe stressed that South African immigration authorities apply visa requirements irrespective of an applicant’s profile or status.
“If you meet the requirement for a visa, whether you are a star or not, tall, short, black or white, if you qualify, you will get it,” he said.
“But if you don’t, regardless of who you are, the immigration section will uphold the immigration law of the country,” he added.
The clarification comes amid renewed discussions on relations between Nigeria and South Africa, particularly over immigration, entertainment and the treatment of nationals from other African countries.
