Some local artists and event promoters have stood up against the ongoing xenophobic attacks in South Africa by making their voice heard.
Musician Temwah took to social media to express her dismay over the attacks.
|Courtesy of Temwah
“The way South Africans are mistreating our brothers and sisters from Malawi, in any sensible way even artists from South Africa are not supposed to come and perform here. They should not perform here until they stop the xenophobic attacks,” she said.
Madness Entertainment has also cancelled two shows where musician Joe Ikon was expected to perform in South Africa.
Madness Entertainment director Jah Keev said their priority is ensuring that everyone is safe and that the situation in South Africa does not guarantee their safety.
He said: ‘What is happening in South Africa is bad and we hope the situation will be addressed soon. In the prevailing circumstances, we felt we could not proceed with the two shows.
“We are in solidarity with Malawians affected in one way or the other.”
Jah Keev said it was time Malawians placed their trust on local artists and not always count on artists from South Africa when organising events.
“Maybe because they are affordable, but now we need to explore other options. We need to align with the wishes of the people. With everything that is going on, the general feeling suggests otherwise,” he said.
The planned shows were organised by Nyasa Music and its manager James Makunje Jnr said the decision to cancel the shows is due to safety fears.
‘The situation on the ground remains tense. We don’t want to put people in harm’s way; hence, our decision to cancel the shows,” he said.
However, Makunje Jnr said boycotting South African artists is not a solution because artists are just caught in the crossfire of a complex issue.
“Every country has immigration laws and procedures in place. It is the responsibility of the relevant authorities to enforce and uphold those laws where necessary. The concern is when civilians take matters in their own hands,” he said.
Since the xenophobia attacks started in South Africa, there has been a growing backlash from some Malawians over hiring South African artists to perform in the country.
In the past three weeks, three South African artists, namely Daliwonga, Heavy K and BDN Gogo performed in Malawi despite the growing resistance.
