Cape Town – Award-winning South African singer Makhadzi has sparked debate on social media after expressing concerns about the planned national shutdown organised by anti-illegal immigration group March and March.
The musician, whose real name is Ndivhudzannyi Ralivhona, took to X, formerly Twitter, to share her fears about the protest action scheduled for 30 June, particularly regarding the treatment of Tshivenda and Tsonga-speaking South Africans.
Makhadzi said she was worried that some South Africans could be wrongly identified as foreign nationals because of the languages they speak.
Her concerns were prompted by videos circulating online, including one in which a Zulu-speaking man appeared to ask a Venda-speaking man to produce identification documents.
The singer’s comments quickly attracted attention online, prompting her to issue a follow-up statement in which she apologised to anyone offended by her remarks and clarified that she was not making a political statement.
“My lovely South Africans, I would like to clarify that I am not a politician,” she wrote.
Makhadzi said that English is not her first language and acknowledged that she may not have expressed herself clearly in her original post.
She said her concerns stemmed from videos she had seen online in which Venda-speaking individuals were allegedly asked to prove their South African citizenship.
“I made my previous post because I was worried about most of the videos we see online, that when you are speaking Venda mostly they get to doubt that you are a South African citizen,” she said.
Referring to the video that sparked her reaction, Makhadzi said she found it troubling to see a Venda-speaking man being asked for identification by another South African.
My lovely South African, I would like to clarify that iam not a politian … and I might not stated my mind in a good manner because of English sometimes is a problem to me .
But iam really sorry for those who were affected by my previous post .I made my previous post…
— Makhadzi (@MakhadziSA) June 1, 2026
“You can imagine in your country someone asks you for an ID because you look a certain way and your language is not familiar to others,” she wrote.
The Limpopo-born artist also expressed concern for people from Venda- and Tsonga-speaking communities who live and work in Gauteng and may not be fluent in English or other widely spoken languages.
She questioned how such individuals would be treated during the planned shutdown if language continued to be used as a basis for suspicion.
“As we all look forward to the 30th, I was really worried about others who are working in Gauteng who don’t know English and only know their language, which is Tshivenda,” she said.
Makhadzi added that, based on videos she had watched online, some people appeared unfamiliar with Tshivenda and often assumed it was a foreign language.
“Must we go around with IDs or what?” she asked, adding that she had repeatedly seen Venda- and Tsonga-speaking people being asked to prove their identity during encounters involving suspected undocumented immigrants.
The singer concluded by apologising again to those who felt offended by her comments and said she had learned from the experience.
“I am so sorry once again to all my people who were offended. We learn every day. Next time I will keep quiet until I find a good way to approach any situation,” she said.
Her remarks have since fuelled broader discussions on social media about language, identity and concerns surrounding the upcoming anti-illegal immigration demonstrations.
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Picture: Instagram/ Makhadzi
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Compiled by Glaan Sibuyi
