South African rapper Cassper Nyovest, who recently faced criticism online for not sharing his views on illegal immigration in the country.
Image: X
As discussions around illegal immigration continue to dominate public discourse in South Africa, several celebrities have found themselves under scrutiny for their views - or lack thereof - on the issue.
South African rapper and businessman Cassper Nyovest recently faced criticism on social media after sharing his thoughts on the country’s challenges without directly addressing the ongoing debate around illegal immigration.
On June 2, Nyovest took to X (formerly Twitter) to express concern about the state of South Africa.
“Yoh bafethu. I really pray for our country to heal. May God bless and keep the ones that are giving us an honest chance and fighting against corruption, criminality and violence. South Africa has so much potential, but our leaders do not care about the people. One day!!”
However, the post sparked a wave of responses from users who questioned why he had not specifically commented on illegal immigration.
One user, @Abram1_Ledwaba, wrote: “Ya’ll don’t wanna talk about illegal foreigners because you’re scared comrades will never book you.”
Another commenter, @Linghe_Xing, asked: “Why are you not mentioning illegal immigration because all the things listed above have escalated as a result of that also?”
A third user criticised South African celebrities for what they perceived as a reluctance to take a firm stance on the issue.
@mzantsixplained said: “How did we go from the likes of Brenda Fassie, Lucky Dube, Zola 7, Miriam Makeba, Hugh Masekela, AKA to a bunch of useless celebrities like you, Cassper Nyovest??? Like seriously, I'd like to know. Our celebrities used to take a firm stand to defend the people of RSA!”
Others argued that illegal immigration is one of the country’s most pressing concerns and should be openly addressed by public figures.
@mbalzmbele said: “Heal from what exactly? We are dealing with illegal immigration, that’s the matter that's on the table. We as South Africans don’t need any healing, we just want to be respected and considered. We can’t proceed being a lawless country where illegality reigns.”
As criticism mounted, Nyovest responded to one follower, making it clear that he would not be pressured into sharing an opinion on the matter and that he is not afraid.
"I’m not scared, I just avoid cause I’ve been labelled dumb. Every time, I tweet or say anything about my country, I’m told to shut up cause I didn’t go to school, or I’m told how much I should’ve died and not Aka. I can’t even say I love my country cause they say it’s performative," he said.