BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa – Internationally acclaimed Malian musician Salif Keïta has cancelled his scheduled performance at South Africa’s premier Mangaung African Cultural Festival (Macufe) in Free State province, stating that he cannot perform in good conscience while fellow African migrants face escalating xenophobic attacks, intimidation, and forced displacement across the country.
The 77-year-old Afro-pop pioneer, revered globally as the “Golden Voice of Africa” with a career spanning over five decades, announced his withdrawal on Thursday, August 27, 2026, describing the decision as a moral stance against intolerance rather than an indictment of ordinary South Africans.
Okay News reports that Keïta’s boycott comes amidst widespread civil tensions and an ultimatum issued by anti-migrant pressure groups—notably the March and March movement—demanding that all undocumented foreign nationals leave South Africa before September 30, 2026.
“I cannot ignore the reports of xenophobic violence against our African brothers and sisters,” Keïta stated in a public message. “When I see migrants attacked, I do not see ‘politics’. I see people looking for work, safety, and dignity.”
The Free State Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation expressed regret over the artist’s withdrawal, maintaining that the annual Macufe festival was conceived precisely as a platform to foster Pan-African unity and cultural exchange.
The cultural fallout coincides with an accelerating exodus of African nationals, with more than 160,000 migrants from Malawi, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Nigeria, and Ghana voluntarily repatriating or evacuating since May under state-backed and multilateral emergency return schemes.
On Wednesday night, the first chartered repatriation flight carrying 173 Tanzanian citizens arrived at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam from Durban, where returnees recounted being evicted from their homes and sleeping in open fields following violent community sweeps.
“Foreigners are not wanted there,” said Abdul Idi, a returnee who had lived in South Africa since 2006. Another returnee, 53-year-old Rashid Ramadhan, noted that he was forced to abandon his livelihood and possessions after 30 years in the country due to continuous threats to his safety.
While the South African government insists that law enforcement agencies are actively arresting vigilantes who take the law into their own hands, regional governments across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) continue to scale up emergency evacuation logistics ahead of the threatened September 30 nationwide demonstrations.
