Backlash Against Chris Brown’s Concert in South Africa
American singer Chris Brown’s upcoming concert in South Africa is under intense scrutiny as the GOOD party teams up with Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) activists to protest the event.
The opposition is fueled by an ongoing petition from Women for Change, which has garnered over 37,000 signatures since its launch on October 2.
The controversy erupted after Big Concerts announced Brown would perform in December, leading to heightened tensions.
Originally set for one day, the concert has been expanded to two dates due to high demand. However, GOOD party national youth chairman Kaden Arguile has strongly criticized the event, declaring, “There should be no platform for abusers.”
“We are concerned about the message Chris Brown’s concert sends to our society. GOOD has run an extensive anti-GBVF campaign, ‘Don’t Shut Up. Speak Up,’ and we must walk our talk. Given the GBVF pandemic in South Africa, we cannot separate the art from the artist,” Arguile stated.
Referencing crime statistics from April to June 2024, Arguile highlighted a year-on-year increase in crimes against women, noting that 966 women were murdered and over 13,000 cases of assault were reported during that period. “This country cannot afford to normalize or platform a known abuser,” she emphasized.
Brown, who has a history of legal troubles related to domestic violence, including a felony assault charge involving his ex-girlfriend Rihanna in 2009, has faced multiple allegations since then.
Arguile urged concert organizers to reconsider their decision, pointing out that combating GBVF requires collective action from all citizens.
In a recent social media post, Brown responded to the backlash by sharing an image of himself with a balaclava and a South African flag, captioning it, “I’m stepping on shit.”
