A Dangerous Cultural Moment
The world and South Africa has entered a dangerous cultural moment, a moment where a musician’s worth is no longer measured by creativity, excellence, talent, or the beauty they bring into the world, but by whether they post the “right” hashtag about Palestine. A moment where an artist’s career can be derailed not by scandal or incompetence, but by refusing to bow to the political demands of online mobs.
Cancel culture has mutated into something darker: a political loyalty test. And for many South Africans, the test begins and ends with one question: “Do you support Palestine?” Furthermore, society has entered a dangerous cultural moment, a moment where artists are no longer celebrated for talent, creativity, craftsmanship, or contribution, but for whether they say “Free Palestine” loudly enough online. Our artistic spaces have been hijacked by political gatekeepers who believe that silence is betrayal and disagreement is unforgivable.
If you say yes loudly enough, you are embraced, forgiven, and celebrated, even if you have not created anything meaningful in years. If you say no, or refuse to say anything at all, prepare to be bullied, threatened, insulted, and stripped of opportunities. And it is tearing our creative spaces apart. Cancel culture is no longer about accountability. It has become ideological policing. And the weapon of choice is Gaza.
How Activism Became a Loyalty Test
Take the case of Sho Madjozi.
For years, she released no major music. Her artistic silence was louder than her colourful persona. Yet, almost instantly, once she posted a pro-Palestine message on social media, her following skyrocketed again. Suddenly she was relevant, suddenly she was applauded, and suddenly she was “brave” for posting what the mob demanded.
Not for releasing a world-shifting album. Not for reviving Tsonga pop with innovation. Not for performing something breath-taking. No, society rewarded her political performance, not her artistic contribution.
What message does this send? That creativity doesn’t matter. That excellence doesn’t matter. That loyalty to the trend is the only currency of fame. And worse, it tells young artists that to succeed, they must become activists first, musicians second. A society that rewards hashtag activism over actual art is a society that has abandoned cultural integrity. It tells young artists: “Don’t focus on excellence, focus on trending politics.” That is the death of creativity.
Now look at DJ Khaled, a global producer, loved across continents, who is Palestinian by heritage.
You would think that would earn him protection from harassment. But no, the mobs descended on him with anger because he did NOT post anything about Gaza. To them, silence is violence. Silence is betrayal. Silence means you’re against Palestine, even if your ancestors come from there. Imagine being bullied because you choose peace? Imagine being attacked for NOT exploiting a war for likes? His personal decision to stay out of the discourse was treated as treason. He was insulted. Threatened. Disowned by people who had never met him. This is not activism. His silence, a personal, private choice, was treated as a crime. This is not activism. This is emotional blackmail and emotional terrorism.
Then there’s Floyd Mayweather, one of the most successful athletes in the world, who openly supported Israel. The backlash was instant. He was called names. He was threatened. He was mocked. Sponsors were pressured to drop him. Simply because he expressed empathy for Israeli victims, something any human being should be free to do. He was attacked online. He was insulted by activists. Campaigns were launched to “cancel” him globally. Supporting Israeli victims, victims of a massacre – is now treated as a punishable offence. Cancel culture punishes compassion if it is directed at the “wrong” group. This is moral decay.
Cancel culture now punishes people for having compassion for the “wrong” victims. Hamas massacred civilians, babies, elderly, Africans, Asians, Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Where is the outrage for those victims? Where is the outrage for Tanzanian students Joshua Loitu Mollel and Clemence Mtenga? Where is the outrage for the young agricultural interns who were slaughtered while building their futures? But no, society is too busy policing celebrities’ Instagram captions.
Once upon a time, cancel culture claimed to be about holding powerful people accountable. But today? It has become a weapon of conformity. People are cancelled for: not posting, posting too late, posting the “wrong” flag, using the “wrong” words, showing sympathy for Israelis, refusing to dehumanize Jews, refusing to praise Hamas as “resistance”. What kind of society requires people to chant the same slogan to be accepted? That is not justice. That is not solidarity. That is a political dictatorship disguised as virtue.
Hypocrisy
Our own celebrities have been pressured, bullied, and silenced. Artists have lost gigs, influencers have lost followers, DJs have lost bookings and musicians have been told “If you don’t speak about Palestine, we’re done with you.” Is this the South Africa that fought for freedom of expression? Is this the nation of Mandela, who believed no voice should be silenced? Is this the land that prides itself on ubuntu?
Instead of unity, we have ideological policing. Instead of music festivals, we have cancellations. Instead of embracing creativity, we are dividing ourselves by hashtags. The saddest part? People demand celebrities “stand with Palestine”, but refuse to acknowledge the oppression Palestinians face under Hamas itself.
Where are the posts about: Hamas executing dissenters? Hamas jailing journalists? Hamas stealing aid? Hamas forcing civilians to stay in war zones?
Hamas shooting Gazans trying to flee? Hamas using schools and hospitals to hide weapons? No one speaks about that oppression. Why? Because cancel culture cares more about signals than substance.
People proudly boycott: Zara, Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Cape Union Mart, claiming they are “standing with Gaza”. All this, while they continue to use Israeli medical breakthroughs, Israeli water-purification systems, Israeli cybersecurity, Israeli chips in their phones, Israeli apps, Israeli navigation, and Israeli agricultural technologies that feed millions. The truth is simple: people condemn Israel loudly while living off Israeli innovation quietly. They shout “Down with Israel” even as their digital lives run on Israeli breakthroughs. Hypocrisy has never been more fashionable – it’s doing backflips in plain sight.
Let Art Breathe
December is South Africa’s soundtrack: Kirstenbosch concerts echoing through the gardens, coastal festivals lighting up the shoreline, Emmarentia Dam overflowing with outdoor music and laughter. Our summer is music, joy, family, dancing – freedom itself. But now even these spaces are under attack. Coldplay was targeted because Chris Martin said something “tactless.” Radiohead’s Thom Yorke had to pause a concert when activists stormed the stage. International artists now fear performing in South Africa, unwilling to be dragged into political wars they never started. Cancel culture is destroying the very platforms artists use to unite us.
Music is one of the last spaces where people can breathe, heal, and forget their pain for a moment. Why must that be destroyed by political mobs hungry for blood and hashtags? Music is being suffocated by performative politics.
South Africa’s Constitution guarantees freedom of expression, belief, conscience, and creation. These freedoms apply even when people disagree with us. You cannot claim to fight for justice by silencing others, you cannot claim to fight for humanity by bullying artists, and you cannot claim to love freedom by promoting ideological censorship. Our gardens, stages, stadiums, parks, and amphitheatres are public spaces, and they must remain neutral.
Music is not a battlefield. Concerts are not warzones. Artists are not soldiers in someone else’s political fight. When activists attempt to shut down performances because a musician “didn’t post enough about Gaza,” they are not protecting Palestine, they are dismantling South Africa’s cultural life. They are taking a sledgehammer to the very things that make our summers vibrant: open-air concerts, botanical gardens, coastal festivals, and evenings at Emmarentia Dam. These spaces are meant for joy, art, and connection, not ideological policing.
As a nation, we must confront an uncomfortable question: what kind of society do we want to become? One where music unites people across backgrounds, or one where hashtags draw battle lines? One where artists can express themselves freely, or one where they are dragged to the digital firing squad? One where we celebrate musicians for their craft, or one where they are judged solely on whether they reposted a trending cause?
Our gardens, stages, parks, stadiums, and amphitheatres are the heart of our shared identity. They must remain neutral - places where South Africans gather to experience beauty, not bitterness. Let the music play. Let creativity breathe. Let artists be human again. Let South Africans stop treating political conformity as a religion. Let us return to love, not hate; to healing, not bullying; to unity, not ideological violence. Because if we continue on this path, the greatest casualty will not be a celebrity’s reputation, it will be our freedom.
Thabelo Mahangani
Biologist | Human rights advocate
