DJ Maphorisa is facing international backlash, and this time, it looks like he had it coming. The whole of Botswana is angry at him, and his clapback is only making things worse.
Madumane was recently scheduled to have a concert in Botswana. But the artist cancelled his appearance at the last minute, with no apparent provocation. Reportedly, he claimed he did not feel safe in the country, and as such, would not be attending the event for which he was scheduled.
As if the snub was not bad enough, he went to Konka the same weekend, as though nothing had happened. It was too much of a coincidence that he suddenly felt “unsafe” and had another gig lined up and already waiting for him. Batswana believe that he got a better deal with Konka and decided that his international gig couldn’t be as important.
The annoyance is compounded by the fact that his co-collaborator, Kabza De Small, attended the event for which they were both scheduled. If the country is truly unsafe for Phori, how come Kabza feels safe enough to still show up? Batswana can’t wrap their minds around it.
For his stunt, the DJ was a trending topic in Botswana for three days in a row. His fans are livid, and we totally understand why. Tickets were bought, expectations were set, and he let them all down without as much as a second thought.
But now Phori has gone and made it astronomically worse. After avoiding any mention or accountability for the incident, even after the uproar, he went online to hit back with thinly veiled shade.
In a recent Facebook post, the musician wrote that people should learn to be strong and to handle disappointment well, because things don’t always go the way we want them to.
You can probably imagine the backlash that this statement attracted. Batswana are now telling him that if he wants to talk to them, he should talk to them directly, not go through the corners.
Insults are also being hurled his way. He has been told he is too arrogant and should try humbling himself. He has just angered a big section of his fanbase, and they are promising violence the next time they see him. In fact, they are even daring him to go to Botswana now and see what will happen.
The outcry is understandable. If the comment was indeed meant for them, it is rather rude and insensitive. He has handled the whole thing completely wrong, and if his Batswana fans stick by him after this, he is truly a miracle worker. He could have explained better, and it would have helped greatly to avoid trolling them while they were still sore from disappointment.
But Phori is the king of subliminal shade, and we cannot ascertain that he meant it for the country. For now, we wait to see how this plays out, but we agree that he owes his fans in Botswana an explanation and an apology. It is just good manners.