Cape Town — With American R&B superstar, Chris Brown, set to tour South Africa in December, his controversial history of violence against women has led to much outrage and debate.
Despite his musical success and fame, Chris Brown’s past has left a bitter taste in the mouth of many. He burst onto the scene as a talented singer and dancer and quickly established himself as a household name within the industry, but there was more to Brown than met the eye.
In 2009, he assaulted his then-girlfriend Rihanna in what became a global shock to all fans of the musician and was the catalyst in a long line of incidents involving Brown. Another of his ex-girlfriends, Karreuche Tran took a restraining order against Brown after he threatened her via text messages and voicemails.
Brown has maintained a successful career, despite the abuse and sexual assault allegations that surround him, and his upcoming concert has left many feeling uncomfortable that a known abuser is going to perform in South Africa, a country that is the victim of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) daily.
As part of the No Excuse for Abuse campaign, the Investigation Discovery (ID) channel will air a documentary on 8 November to showcase Brown’s violent history called Chris Brown: A History of Violence which tells the story of an “iconic accused, convicted celebrity.”
“Chris Brown is an amazing, and talented musician, but let’s call a thing a thing. Chris Brown is an abuser of women, consistently, unapologetically,” says a voice in a trailer for the documentary.
“He has a long list of various different women who has accused Chris Brown of assaulting them, He has an audience full of assault deniers,” another woman’s voice in the teaser is heard saying.
According to No Excuse for Abuse, the campaign is an initiative launched by ID to raise awareness about domestic violence.
“ID is dedicated to empowering viewers with the knowledge and tools necessary to identify all forms of domestic violence, find support if needed, and become part of the solution. Throughout the month of October, ID will present on-air resources and PSAs for viewers and in conjunction with our partner, we will also share important information across our social and digital channels. We encourage viewers to join the conversation with using #NoExcuseForAbuse,” it said on its website.
Meanwhile, the NGO Women for Change has launched a petition to get the Chris Brown concert cancelled and called on Big Conerts, the organisers, to rethink the decision to host the concert in South Africa.
“His concert is scheduled just days after the global commemoration of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, making this event a direct insult to the millions of women and girls affected by violence in South Africa and worldwide,” it said.
“South Africa is in the midst of a GBV crisis, where femicide rates are five times higher than the global average. Many women and children live in constant fear, and the scars of violence run deep,” it added.
Women For Change have appealed to the Department of Home Affairs and Leon Schreiber as to why they granted a visa to a convicted abuser and how it can justify providing a platform to someone with a history of abuse.
We call on all South Africans to unite and take a stand against GBVF by:
- Urging the organiser ‘Big Concerts’, concert promoters and sponsors to cancel the Chris Brown concert.
- Demanding that Home Affairs revoke Chris Brown’s visa and prevent him from performing in South Africa.
- Standing in solidarity with survivors of GBVF by refusing to glorify those who have perpetrated abuse.
- Let us use this opportunity to show the world that South Africa will not tolerate violence against women in any form. Together, we can demand justice, respect, and safety for all women and girls.
According to The Citizen, at least 966 women were murdered in the months between April and June 2024, with more than 13 000 cases of assault were reported.
Follow African Insider on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
Picture: X/@freakymarko
For more African news, visit Africaninsider.com
Compiled by Matthew Petersen
