‘Instead of glorifying individuals with a history of abuse, we must be empowering and supporting survivors,’ says Women for Change’s Bulelwa Adonis.
ADVOCACY group Women For Change launched a petition on October 2, trying to stop Chris Brown from performing in South Africa.
Six days later, the petition has 10,248 signatures and has a goal of reaching 15,000. The petition is demanding that Home Affairs revoke Brown’s Visa and prevent him from performing in South Africa.
Bulelwa Adonis, Women For Change spokesperson speaking on Newzroom Afrika addressed the backlash the group has received.
Adonis said the group doesn’t practice selective activism and has one mandate which is to not support people who are violent.
“In this case, the fact that he obtained a visa to our country and the looseness in our system to allow him the accessibility to us. Considering how dire this pandemic is in our country, it is distressing and disheartening to say the least.”
Women For Change in the petition called on concert organisers Big Concerts, promoters, and the South African government to reconsider the decision to allow Chris Brown to perform in Johannesburg on December 14, 2024.
“His concert is scheduled just days after the global commemoration of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, making this event a direct insult to the millions of women and girls affected by violence in South Africa and worldwide,” said the non-profit organisation.
“Allowing a man with such a history of violence to perform in South Africa, a country grappling with one of the highest rates of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) in the world, sends a harmful and dangerous message. Instead of glorifying individuals with a history of abuse, we must be empowering and supporting survivors.
