Women's rights groups in South Africa are up in arms over Chris Brown’s upcoming concerts, demanding a boycott due to his notorious history of abuse against women and highlighting the country's high rate of gender-based violence. Despite Brown's widespread fame and success in the music industry, his career has been overshadowed by controversy, particularly his 2009 assault on then-girlfriend Rihanna.
His upcoming performances in South Africa, coinciding with the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, have intensified protests, with Women For Change submitting a petition to revoke his visa. As the concert date nears, the debate over allowing artists with violent histories to perform continues to escalate.
His upcoming performances in South Africa, coinciding with the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, have intensified protests, with Women For Change submitting a petition to revoke his visa. As the concert date nears, the debate over allowing artists with violent histories to perform continues to escalate.
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00:00Women's rights groups in South Africa are outraged over Chris Brown's upcoming concert,
00:04demanding a boycott due to his notorious history of abuse against women,
00:08noting the country's high rate of gender-based violence as the reason.
00:13Best known for his dynamic dance moves and smooth vocals, Brown's ability to blend R&B,
00:17hip-hop, and pop made him a prominent figure in the music industry.
00:21However, his career was marred by controversy just five years in,
00:26notably with his 2009 assault of then-girlfriend Rihanna leading to legal issues and public
00:31scrutiny. Despite this, Brown has remained a successful artist known for his prolific
00:35music releases and high-energy performances. Before this latest controversy over his performance in
00:41South Africa, Brown managed to sell out his two shows at the F&B Stadium in less than 48 hours
00:47with over 190,000 tickets sold, 100,000 over the max capacity of the venue. But not everyone was
00:54interested in buying a ticket. Chris Brown is scheduled to perform in South Africa just
00:59days after the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence, a timing that Women
01:04for Change argues contradicts the campaign's purpose and a country struggling with gender-based
01:09violence. On November 25, 2024, coinciding with the start of the activism campaign,
01:15Women for Change submitted a petition signed by over 50,000 supporters to big concerts,
01:20the Department of Home Affairs, and the Department of Sports, Arts, and Culture.
01:25Women for Change stated that it has not yet received a response to its petition,
01:28urging the concert promoters and the Department of Home Affairs to revoke Chris Brown's visa.
01:33However, Bernie Goberlar, the CEO of Stadium Management South Africa, which manages the venue,
01:39responded to the New York Times saying,
01:42The views, beliefs, and actions of the artists performing at the stadium are their own,
01:46and it is not for us as a venue authority to judge.
01:49As the concert date approaches, the debate continues.
01:52Should we allow those with violent histories to perform at all?