Salif Keïta Cancels South Africa Macufe Festival Show Over Xenophobic Violence

• Malian music legend Salif Keïta announced he would not perform at the Macufe festival in Free State province next month
• Keïta cited reports of xenophobic violence against African migrants as his reason for withdrawing from the event
• Ghana's government rejected a $1.7m donation from MTN Ghana meant to support Ghanaians repatriated from South Africa

Salif Keïta, the 77-year-old Malian musician widely celebrated as the "Golden Voice of Africa," has pulled out of next month's Macufe festival in South Africa's Free State province, saying he cannot turn a blind eye to the violence being directed at migrants across the country.

In a statement explaining his withdrawal, Keïta said he could not "ignore the reports of xenophobic violence against our African brothers and sisters," adding: "When I see migrants attacked, I do not see 'politics'.

I see people looking for work, safety, and dignity." He was careful to frame his decision not as a condemnation of South Africans broadly, but as "a rejection of hate," and left open the possibility of returning to the country in future.

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The Free State's culture department acknowledged his position but said it "regrets the decision taken by the renowned musician," stressing that the Macufe festival was designed to celebrate African unity.

Migrants leaving South Africa in their thousands

Keïta's cancellation coincides with a significant moment in the ongoing migration crisis gripping southern Africa. A first group of 173 Tanzanian nationals flew home from Durban this week as part of a voluntary repatriation programme, with more expected to follow. Durban has been one of the centres of the anti-migrant protests sweeping the country.

Among those on the flight was Abdul Idi, who had travelled to South Africa in 2006 in search of a better life. Speaking on arrival at Dar es Salaam's international airport on Wednesday night, he said simply: "Foreigners are not wanted there."

Another returnee, 53-year-old Rashid Ramadhan, shared he had spent 30 years in South Africa before being forced out of his accommodation in Durban, left without work, and reduced to living outdoors for two months.

According to a count by AFP, more than 160,000 people have left South Africa through similar repatriation programmes since May. Malawians, Zimbabweans, Zambians, Ghanaians, and Nigerians are among those who have returned home, often leaving behind their livelihoods and belongings.

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Ghana rejects MTN donation for repatriated citizens

In a notable development, Ghana's government turned down roughly $1.7 million offered by MTN Ghana, a subsidiary of the South African telecoms group MTN, which had intended the funds to assist Ghanaians returning from South Africa. Ghana's foreign ministry stated that the government was committed to financing the evacuation and reintegration of its own citizens without outside support.

The anti-migrant group March and March, which organised demonstrations on 30 June that turned violent in parts of the country, has called for a second wave of nationwide protests on 30 September.

The group has described the upcoming action as larger and better coordinated than the first, and earlier this month urged leaders attending the Southern African Development Community summit in Durban to "fetch your people."

Source: YEN.com.gh