- Omoyele Sowore supports South African singer Tyla’s concert in Lagos.
- He believes she should not be punished for xenophobic attacks in South Africa.
- Sowore expressed his views on social media amid calls from some Nigerians to boycott the concert.
Human rights activist Omoyele Sowore has spoken out in support of South African singer Tyla’s upcoming concert in Lagos, saying she should not be denied the opportunity to perform because of xenophobic attacks in South Africa.
Sowore shared his views on social media after some Nigerians called for a boycott of the singer’s scheduled performance, citing repeated attacks on Nigerians living in South Africa. However, the activist argued that the outrage is being directed at the wrong person.
According to him, Tyla should not be held responsible for the actions of criminals or for the shortcomings of political leaders in her country.
“No one should hold a talented musician like Tyla vicariously liable for the crimes of xenophobia,” Sowore wrote.
He added that entertainers should only face criticism if there is evidence that they have openly supported or encouraged xenophobic violence.
Rather than blaming the Grammy-winning artist, Sowore insisted that political leaders should be held accountable for creating an environment where such attacks continue to occur. He criticized South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and also faulted Nigerian President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), alleging that their leadership failures have contributed to the challenges Nigerians face both within the country and abroad.
Reaffirming his stance, Sowore declared:
“Tyla’s Lagos concert must go on.”
The debate began after South African star Tyla announced that her A*POP World Tour would make a stop in Lagos on December 22. The announcement sparked mixed reactions online, with some Nigerians insisting that South African entertainers should not be welcomed while xenophobic attacks against Nigerians continue. Others, however, argued that it would be unfair to punish an artist for actions linked to government policies and criminal activities.
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Read some comments below:
@ColdTruth:”And you think our people they chased out, destroyed their businesses and k*lled are not talented in each of their endeavors? You can only beat who’s in front of you so if na Tyla image suffers the consequences for a start, it’s all good 💯. No one should take Sowore serious.”
@Dezziano:”And it’s true though, let’s try to make peace, but most of the SA’s are damn foolish”
