South Africa’s Consul-General to Nigeria, Prof Bobby Moroe, has explained the controversy surrounding Ayra Starr’s visa, saying the issue was neither personal nor political.
Speaking with Saturday PUNCH, Moroe said the visa rejection happened in February 2024, not recently as reported in some reports. He said it was caused by a paperwork error.
According to him, renewed attention to the matter followed media reports, prompting the South African mission to meet with Ayra Starr’s team. He said the problem was linked to the singer’s yellow fever certificate, which was issued by the wrong country.
“One of the challenges was that they did not submit an appropriate yellow fever certificate. They submitted the yellow fever certificate of another country when they were supposed to submit the yellow fever certificate of their home country,” he said.
Moroe stressed that Ayra Starr’s fame and Nigerian nationality had nothing to do with the decision, adding that all applicants are assessed under the same immigration rules.
He also confirmed that the issue was later resolved and the singer was granted a visa.
“Subsequently, the matter was resolved amicably and they were granted a one-year visa to go and perform in South Africa in 2024, and I think that was what they forgot to mention,” Moroe said.
