Chris Brown sold more than 94,000 tickets for his upcoming concert in South Africa, but there has been strong backlash from women’s rights activists concerning his visit to a country with one of the highest rates of femicide and gender-based violence in the world.
According to the BBC, “Women for Change,” a local advocacy group, has launched a petition to prevent Brown from entering the country. So far, it has garnered 20,000 signatures.
Sabina Walter, the executive director of the organization, stated: “When I saw the news that Chris Brown would be coming to South Africa, I was shocked and deeply disappointed. The petition was started to send a strong message that we will not tolerate the celebration of individuals with a history of violence against women. When someone like Chris Brown is given a platform in a country where gender-based violence is at a crisis level, it sends a damaging message: that fame and power outweigh accountability.”
Brown has a history of allegations regarding violence against women. In 2009, he pled guilty to assaulting his then-girlfriend Rihanna after a dispute on the way to the Grammy Awards. He was sentenced to five years probation, community service, and counseling. In the past, he has been banned from entering other countries such as the UK, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.
