Trending 
Human rights activist and African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has urged Nigerians not to direct their anger over xenophobic attacks in South Africa at singer Tyla.
Sowore made the remarks in a post on X on Thursday following growing calls by some Nigerians to boycott Tyla’s scheduled December concert in Lagos over renewed attacks on Nigerians and other African migrants in South Africa.
“I will never participate in, encourage, or justify the victimisation of any fellow African (or any human being) for crimes they did not commit, create, or enable,” Sowore wrote.
He argued that Africans should channel their frustrations toward governments rather than ordinary citizens.
“Africans must steadfastly hold their leaders accountable for their ineptitude, corruption, and incompetence, instead of turning against one another.”
Throwing his support behind the Grammy-winning South African singer, Sowore insisted that she should not be made to bear responsibility for the actions of others.
“@Tyllaaaaaaa must be allowed to ply her trade freely, just as every African artist, worker, and citizen should be able to do across the continent and beyond.”
Sowore blamed Africa’s political leadership for worsening economic conditions and fuelling divisions among citizens.
“The real problem is not ordinary African, it is the failed leadership that has fostered corruption, economic hardship, and the conditions for division,” he added.
“Africans deserve better than leaders who create conditions that pit us against one another.”
His comments come as online outrage in Nigeria over recent xenophobic violence in South Africa has increasingly spilt into the entertainment industry, with many social media users urging Nigerians to boycott Tyla’s December 22 Lagos concert.
Others have called on authorities to deny her entry into the country, while another group has argued that artists should not be held accountable for actions carried out by governments or criminal groups.
South Africa has experienced repeated waves of xenophobic violence over the past two decades, with migrants from Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Somalia, Mozambique and other African countries frequently targeted by mobs accusing foreigners of taking jobs, committing crime and placing pressure on public services.
Several outbreaks since 2008 have resulted in deaths, injuries, looting of foreign-owned businesses and the displacement of thousands.
The latest wave of attacks in 2026 prompted Nigeria to evacuate about 1,490 citizens from South Africa in multiple batches while demanding stronger action from Pretoria to protect migrants.
President Bola Tinubu also called on African leaders to jointly condemn what he described as “Afrophobic attacks,” while Nigerian and South African officials recently met in Abuja to discuss measures to de-escalate tensions and hold perpetrators accountable.
The violence has also had cultural repercussions. South African artists and entertainers have increasingly faced backlash in parts of Africa whenever xenophobic attacks flare up.
In Nigeria, social media users have repeatedly called for boycotts of South African performers, arguing that the entertainment industry should not be insulated from diplomatic tensions.
The announcement of Tyla’s Lagos concert reignited those sentiments, with many posts on X, Instagram and Reddit urging fans not to buy tickets, while others defended the singer, saying she should not be blamed for violence committed by extremists in her country.
Let me reiterate again, I will never participate in, encourage, or justify the victimization of any fellow African (or any human being) for crimes they did not commit, create, or enable.
Africans must steadfastly hold their leaders accountable for their ineptitude, corruption,… pic.twitter.com/xsAY14exA5
— Omoyele Sowore (@sowore) July 30, 2026
