The South African government has denied claims that Nigerian singer Ayra Starr and members of her team were refused visas to enter the country, saying there is no official record of any visa application or rejection involving the artiste.
South Africa’s Consul-General to Nigeria, Prof. Bobby Moroe, said immigration authorities could only investigate the allegation if those making the claims provide the names of the affected individuals and their visa application reference numbers.
His comments followed calls by some Nigerian political figures for the Federal Government to review visa applications from South African artistes under the principle of reciprocity if it is confirmed that Ayra Starr was previously denied entry.
The controversy stems from February 2024, when Ayra Starr was scheduled to perform in Johannesburg and Cape Town. The concert promoter announced the cancellation of the shows, attributing the decision to the alleged denial of visas for the singer and her team despite efforts to secure the required travel documents.
However, Moroe said South African authorities could not confirm the incident without verifiable records.
The diplomatic tension also coincided with South African Grammy-winning singer Tyla removing Lagos from the schedule of her upcoming world tour. The planned December concert had drawn criticism from some Nigerians over her silence on repeated xenophobic attacks against Nigerians living in South Africa.
The removal of the Lagos show sparked mixed reactions on social media, with some South African users posting hostile comments against Nigerians, while others welcomed the decision.
Former Nigerian diplomat Rasheed Akinkuolie said the strained relations between both countries make cultural exchanges difficult at this time. He urged South Africa to compensate Nigerians who lost lives, businesses and property during xenophobic attacks and called for stronger diplomatic engagement to prevent future incidents.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has renewed its demand for compensation for Nigerians affected by xenophobic attacks in South Africa. It also urged Pretoria to fully implement the bilateral Early Warning Mechanism agreed by both countries to help prevent future attacks and improve the protection of foreign nationals.
