Nigeria’s top Artiste Tiwa Savage has withdrawn from the upcoming DSTV Delicious Festival due to the ongoing xenophobic violence in Johannesburg.
“I refuse to watch the barbaric butchering of my people in SA. This is SICK. For this reason I will NOT be performing at the upcoming DSTV delicious Festival in Johannesburg on the 21st of September. My prayers are with all the victims and families affected by this,” The Eminado hit singer tweeted on Wednesday.
The festival will be held on September 21-22 at the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit.
International stars Raphael Saadiq, Corinne Bailey Rae and a host of artists from Kalawa Jazmee Records are scheduled to perform live in what is being tipped as the biggest DStv Delicious International Food and Music Festival.
“Killing anyone that is African are my people whether they are Nigerians or not,” she said.
Tiwa Savage is the latest individual and party to disengage with South Africa following the xenophobic attacks.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Malawi will not participate in the World Economic Forum on Africa in Capetown, South Africa, on September 4-6 in retaliation to the xenophobic attacks, in which at least five people have been killed.
South African media reported that Presidents Paul Kagame (Rwanda), Felix Tshisekedi (DRC) and Peter Mutharika (Malawi) have all withdrawn from the event.
Zambia has also cancelled an international friendly football match with South Africa’s national team Bafana Bafana that was scheduled to be played in Lusaka.
“This is because of the security concerns, you never know what can happen,” Football Association of Zambia secretary-general Adrian Kashala said.
“We want to be sure of the security of (the) visiting team.”
