Controversial singer Steve Hofmeyr’s appearance at the #StopBELA march has sparked heated reactions as he performed for a crowd gathered at the Voortrekker Monument in Pretoria on Tuesday.
Story Summary:
- Controversial singer Steve Hofmeyr performed at the #StopBELA march, drawing attention to the event and sparking debate over his past racially charged comments.
- The march opposed the BELA Act, which many in the Afrikaans community believe threatens mother-tongue education and the autonomy of Afrikaans-language schools.
- Leaders of the DA, Freedom Front Plus, and Patriotic Alliance joined Afrikaner organisations to present a memorandum urging the government to amend parts of the BELA Act.
Watch: Steve Hofmeyr performs at BELA march
Organised by the Democratic Alliance (DA), Freedom Front Plus, and the Patriotic Alliance, the march aimed to protest the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Act, which attendees argue threatens mother-tongue education in Afrikaans-speaking schools.
Hofmeyr, known for his polarising views and history of racially charged comments, performed for the crowd, drawing both criticism and support online.
Hofmeyr’s presence became a trending topic shortly after the event began, with mixed responses from South Africans.
Some supporters celebrated his performance as part of a larger cultural preservation effort, while critics highlighted Hofmeyr’s history of contentious comments and actions, including past statements viewed as offensive to black and LGBTQ+ communities.
Steve Hofmeyr’s storied history of racism
Hofmeyr has been a controversial figure in South Africa for over a decade, often criticised for his views on race and culture.
In 2011, he sparked outrage by threatening to include the racial slur “k-word” in a song, a move widely condemned as promoting racial division.
Further controversies followed in 2014 when Hofmeyr performed the apartheid-era national anthem Die Stem at a cultural festival, later declaring that black South Africans were “the architects of apartheid.”
His comments led to significant backlash, with some public figures launching campaigns to hold him accountable, including comedian Conrad Koch’s character, Chester Missing.
The singer’s views on social issues extend beyond race.
He has also made disparaging statements about the LGBTQ+ community, alleging that inclusivity efforts in media were linked to “bestiality,” a comment that led to demands for Hofmeyr to issue a public apology and attend inclusivity training.
In 2019, streaming platform MultiChoice removed all content featuring Hofmeyr, further intensifying his polarizing status in South Africa’s cultural landscape.
