Xenophobic attacks on Nigerians shouldn’t stop Tyla from performing in Lagos — Sowore

By Tolulope Oke

Human rights activist Omoyele Sowore has rejected calls to stop South African singer Tyla from performing in Lagos over recurring xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in her country.

Sowore said Nigerians should not hold the Grammy-winning musician responsible for the violence and failures of South Africa’s political leadership.

He made the statement on Wednesday while reacting to growing calls for Nigerians to boycott Tyla’s Lagos concert.

According to him, Nigerians should direct their anger at political leaders whose failures created the conditions for xenophobic violence.

Sowore named President Bola Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa among those Nigerians should hold accountable.

He accused Tinubu and the APC of destroying Nigeria and reducing its citizens to second-class status across Africa and other parts of the world.

The activist also blamed Ramaphosa and other South African leaders for failing to address the conditions fuelling attacks against foreigners.

“No one should hold a talented musician like Tyla vicariously liable for the crimes of xenophobia,” Sowore wrote on X.

He argued that artistes should not be blamed for politicians’ failures unless there was clear evidence that they supported or enabled such actions.

Sowore then declared: “Tyla’s Lagos concert must go on.”

The controversy erupted after Tyla announced that her A*POP World Tour would include a performance in Lagos on 22 December.

The announcement triggered outrage among some Nigerians, who argued that South African entertainers should not be welcomed while Nigerians continue to suffer xenophobic attacks in their country.

Some critics also accused Tyla of failing to condemn the attacks publicly and called for a peaceful boycott of her performance.

Others, however, argued that punishing an individual artiste for her government’s failures would amount to collective punishment.

The debate follows renewed anger over xenophobic attacks in South Africa and the reported death of Nigerian national Chika Ibe in Cape Town