Personality in Focus
Malian Singer Salif Keita Pulls Out of South African Festival over Xenophobic Attacks
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Malian music legend, Salif Keïta, has cancelled upcoming commercial performances in South Africa, including an appearance at the Mangaung African Cultural Festival (Macufe), citing what he described as “xenophobic violence” against African migrants.
The decision comes as anti-migrant protests intensify in one of Africa’s most industrialised economies, prompting thousands of foreign nationals to return home and increasingly straining cultural ties across the continent.
Explaining his decision, Keïta said he could not “ignore the reports of xenophobic violence against our African brothers and sisters.”
“When I see migrants attacked, I do not see ‘politics’. I see people looking for work, safety, and dignity.”
The 77-year-old musician stressed that his decision was not a rejection of South Africans.
“To be clear — I am not closing the door on South Africa. I am closing the door on violence,” he said.
Often described as the “Golden Voice of Africa”, Keïta has spent more than five decades in music and remains one of the continent’s most recognisable artists.
The award-winning Malian singer has earned four Grammy nominations and won France’s Victoire de la Musique for World Music Album of the Year in 2010 for La Différence.
His ties to South Africa also stretch back decades, including a performance at the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute concert at Wembley Stadium in 1988, an event closely linked to the international anti-apartheid movement.
In response to his withdrawal, the Free State’s culture department said it regretted the decision and stressed that Macufe was intended to celebrate African unity.
Keïta’s withdrawal comes against the backdrop of worsening tensions over migration in South Africa, which has long attracted workers from across the continent.
More than 160,000 foreigners have left South Africa through repatriation programmes since May, according to an AFP tally. They include citizens of Malawi, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Ghana and Nigeria.
This week, 173 Tanzanian nationals also returned home from Durban, one of the centres of recent anti-migrant demonstrations.
Anti-migrant groups accuse undocumented foreigners of putting pressure on jobs and public services and contributing to crime.
However, South African authorities have maintained that immigration laws must be enforced through legal channels and have acted against people accused of vigilantism and violence.
Increasingly, the tensions are also spilling into Africa’s entertainment industry.
In July, a planned Lagos concert by Grammy-winning South African singer Tyla disappeared from her A*POP World Tour schedule after boycott calls from some Nigerians over reported xenophobic attacks against African migrants in South Africa.
Although Tyla and her management did not publicly confirm that the backlash caused the change, the episode showed how migration tensions were beginning to affect cross-border cultural exchanges.
Keïta’s decision now brings the issue into sharper focus from the opposite direction, with one of West Africa’s most prominent musicians refusing to perform in South Africa over the treatment of fellow Africans.
As a result, the controversy has added a cultural dimension to a migration crisis already affecting labour flows, diplomacy and relations between African countries.
The Executive Secretary/CEO of the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF), Dr. Ayodele Ogunsan, has felicitates the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, on the occasion of his 62nd birthday, describing him as a loyal, dependable and patriotic leader whose contributions to Lagos’ development remain significant and exceptional.
In a congratulatory message, Ogunsan celebrated Hamzat’s commitment to public service, political stability and the progressive ideals of the All Progressives Congress (APC), noting that his loyalty to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Executive Governor, the party and the people of Lagos reflects a deep sense of responsibility and institutional discipline.
Born on September 19, 1964, Hamzat is an engineer and technocrat who holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Agricultural Engineering from the University of Ibadan and a PhD in Systems Process Engineering from Cranfield University, United Kingdom. His professional experience spans technology, financial services and corporate management, including roles with Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley and Oando Plc.
Before becoming Deputy Governor in 2019, Hamzat served as Lagos State Commissioner for Science and Technology and later Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure. He was also involved in federal public service as an adviser on works. His public-service record includes contributions to technology-driven governance and major infrastructure initiatives in Lagos. He was re-elected Deputy Governor in 2023 and emerged as the APC’s candidate for the 2027 Lagos governorship election in May 2026.
Ogunsan described Hamzat as “a great party leader, a faithful servant and a leader whose loyalty is matched by competence, humility and dedication.”
He praised the Deputy Governor’s collaborative relationship with Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, stressing that such cooperation has strengthened policy continuity and effective governance in Lagos.
“Your Excellency, your life reflects service, loyalty and commitment to the greater good. On behalf of my family, the management and staff of the LSSTF, I wish you renewed strength, sound health, wisdom and many more years of impactful service,” Ogunsan said.
He prayed: “Your Excellency Sir, I pray that this New Year would bring you to the realization of your mandate as the next Executive Governor of Lagos State come 2027. I pray that you will enjoy divine guidance and continued peace, joy and health to contribute to the progress and prosperity of Lagos State.”
Veteran Nigerian actor and elder statesman, Oludotun Baiyewu Jacobs, popularly known as Olu Jacobs, has died at the age of 84.
The actor’s death was announced by his son, Olusoji Jacobs, on Instagram on Wednesday.
Olu Jacobs was one of Nigeria’s most respected actors and a towering figure in the country’s theatre, television and film industries.
For more than five decades, Jacobs built a career that took him from the stage in Britain to international films and, ultimately, to becoming one of the most recognisable faces of Nollywood.
Born on July 11, 1942, in Kano, Jacobs had his roots in the Egba Alake community of Abeokuta, Ogun State. He grew up in Kano, where he developed an early interest in acting through school drama, debating activities, and church programmes.
His passion for the performing arts was strengthened after he watched a performance by legendary Nigerian theatre practitioner Hubert Ogunde. The experience inspired him to pursue acting professionally.
Michael Dell, on Tuesday, overtook Jeff Bezos in Forbes’ billionaire rankings, edging past the Amazon co-founder as shares of Dell Technologies reached an all-time high, extending a six-month rally.Dell’s estimated net worth rose $4.6 billion to reach $267.7 billion at market close Tuesday afternoon, making him the third-wealthiest person in the world for the first time ever.
Dell trails Alphabet co-founder Larry Page ($277.9 billion) and Tesla chief Elon Musk ($942 billion).
Shares of Dell Technologies rose 1.9% to close at an all-time high of $533.88 on Tuesday, and traded as high as $538.47 earlier in the day.
Bezos’ estimated net worth dropped $1.4 billion to $265.2 billion as Amazon shares fell 0.6%.
Dell’s net worth has more than doubled since last year as his company has benefited from booming demand for artificial intelligence hardware.
327%. That is how much Dell’s stock has rocketed since the start of the year, when shares were priced around the $128 mark. Michael Dell holds a roughly 40% stake in his company and has much of his fortune wrapped up in his private investment firm DFO Management, which invests in hotels and liquid corporate credit. Dell’s net worth has soared alongside his company’s earnings, allowing him to surpass Meta co-founder Mark Zuckerberg and Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison in recent months.
Dell Technologies is a week removed from its second-quarter earnings report in which it logged $47 billion in revenue, a 58% jump year-over-year, and adjusted earnings per share of $7.04, a threefold increase from the same period last year. The company’s AI server business logged a record $60.9 billion in orders and accounted for $16.4 billion in revenue. The growth, and what chief financial officer David Kennedy called “AI momentum,” resulted in Dell Technologies raising its full-year revenue guidance $25 billion to an anticipated $192 billion.
