Browned off: R&B star Chris Brown appears in court in Los Angeles in 2014 after assaulting singer Rihanna, with whom he was in a relationship. Photo: Lucy Nicholson-Pool/Getty Images
On Saturday night, tens of thousands of Chris Brown fans will descend on Johannesburg’s FNB Stadium to see the controversial American R&B artist perform. The host, entertainment company Big Concerts, added another date on Sunday after tickets sold out in less than two hours.
These fans have coughed up from R745 for “general admission standing” up to an eye-watering R5 774 a person for the “presidential suite” to hear him perform hits such as With You, Forever and Under the Influence.
Despite efforts from organisations such as Women for Change, which started a petition raising 51 000 signatures, to stop Brown from performing, the artist brazenly responded on their Instagram page: “Can’t wait to come,” followed by a heart emoji.
The “King of R&B” rose to stardom in 2005 but his career has become clouded by his run-ins with the law over charges of domestic abuse, sexual assault and other violent crimes.
The most prominent case dates back to 2009, when he was arrested for beating up his then-girlfriend, fellow singer Rihanna.
He pleaded guilty to the charge and served five years of probation, in addition to community service, and went for domestic violence counselling.
Another former girlfriend, socialite and actor Karrueche Tran, later got a restraining order against him.
The series of allegations against him was detailed in a documentary, released in October, titled Chris Brown: A History of Violence.
It launched Investigation Discovery’s third annual No Excuse for Abuse campaign.
The film includes explicit details of the night he assaulted Rihanna in a car after a Grammy party. It quotes Brown’s threats: “I’m going to beat the shit out of you when we get home,” and even, “Now I am going to kill you.”
The documentary includes an expose from a woman who claims that Brown raped her on a yacht belonging to the now-disgraced rapper P Diddy in 2020.
It exposes how, after the attacks on Rihanna, Brown faced multiple accusations of sexual assault by several women, which he denied, as well as public acts of violence.
He smashed a window when he appeared on the Good Morning America show in 2011, assaulted a man in Washington in 2013, damaged his mother’s car in the same year and, in 2016, punched the Brazilian model Liziane Gutierrez.
In addition, his former manager sued him for assault that year, with the case settled in 2019.
He was also sued for sexual assault in 2018, arrested for assaulting a photographer (charges dropped), detained in France for alleged sexual assault (charges dropped) and a had an assault charge brought against him by four concertgoers (trial pending).
The founder and executive director of Women For Change Sabrina Walter said the organisation was taking a stand against “individuals with a history of violence against women”.
Given South Africa’s staggeringly high rate of gender-based violence (GBV) and femicide cases, “I felt that we simply could not condone abusers in our country, no matter how famous they are.”
Walter wrote to the departments of home affairs and sport, arts and culture and Big Concerts calling for the performance to be cancelled but they failed to respond.
“We have asked [home affairs] to explain why Chris Brown was granted a visa, despite his conviction, his 108-day imprisonment and 28 other reported violent incidents, which, under the Immigration Act, should render him an undesirable person,” Walter said.
The Act states: “Anyone with previous criminal convictions without the option of a fine for conduct which would be an offence in the republic with the exclusion of certain prescribed offences.
“Upon application from the affected person, the department may waive any of the grounds of undesirability provided that it reports such decisions to the minister and the board with reasons.”
Attorney Ashraf Essop, who specialises in immigration, told the Mail & Guardian that home affairs should have denied Brown a visa and entry to the country because of his history of domestic violence and abuse against women.
He explained that the issuing of a visa is a privilege, not a right, and although the application form doesn’t have provision for people who have a history of violence, “The host state can say, ‘We don’t think that you’re good for our locals.
“‘We have 16 days of activism but you’re not a good role model.’ They could’ve taken that route.”
Essop said that someone with a criminal record shouldn’t be allowed to come to South Africa, let alone come to make stacks of money.
“One of the [considerations] is that [the home affairs department] has discretion but it didn’t apply its mind to relevant facts. It only applied it to irrelevant facts. Irrelevant facts are the man is coming here and it’s a commercial enterprise. He’s got no other benefit.”
He added that it would have been compulsory for Brown to produce a police clearance certificate to enter the country.
The M&G repeatedly contacted the departments of home affairs; women, youth and persons with disabilities and sport, arts and culture, as well as Big Concerts, for comment but did not receive a response.
The concert coincides with South Africa’s 16 Days of Activism campaign which creates awareness around the abuse of women and children.
According to the police crime statistics for the first quarter of the 2024-25 financial year, murders of women increased by 7.9% to 966, while attempted murders went up by 16% to 1 644 and assault (grievous bodily harm) rose by 69% to 13 757 incidents. Sexual offences in general declined 0.4% to 11 566 but rapes rose 0.6% to 9 309.
Despite this, prominent figures have tried to justify Brown performing here.
Former University of Cape Town vice-chancellor Mamokgethi Phakeng shared on X that she would be attending the concert.
“I am totally against GBV and condemn it. I believe that those who perpetrate GBV should face the full might of the law without exceptions or leniency,” she said.
Then went on to say, “But let me be clear, just in case the message didn’t sit well: I am going to attend Brown’s concert if he comes. These two things are not mutually exclusive.
“To suggest that enjoying a concert aligns you with every past action of the artist is, at best, simplistic and, at worst, intellectually dishonest.
Phakeng said in her post that “music is bigger than the individual” and that boycotting Brown’s concert wouldn’t end GBV in South Africa.
“Attending the concert does not magically erase our moral stance on GBV,” she said.
South African actress, author, film-maker and activist Rosie Motene said while the government promotes 16 Days of Activism, it fails to take notice of issues on the ground.
“It’s all about showing face and pushing those kinds of things, but when it comes to implementing things on the ground or in your own spaces, nobody’s really taking accountability for it, nobody’s really doing anything about that,” she said.
There are several precedents for countries barring Brown from performing after he was arrested for assaulting Rihanna. The UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand all prevented him from doing shows.
In 2010, the UK government said it “reserved the right to refuse entry to the UK to anyone guilty of a serious criminal offense”.
“Public safety is one of our primary concerns. Each application to enter the UK is considered on its individual merits.”
Essop said that officials at the home affairs department are obliged to act accordingly and they should be trained on how to evaluate people applying to enter the country — “especially now, when there’s such a heightened awareness of disrespect for human beings, generally”.
Walter said that the government’s failure to act showed that there is a long way to go in holding institutions accountable.
“If the concert proceeds despite our efforts, the international coverage and public outcry, it will send a clear and troubling message about where the government and Big Concerts truly stand on combating gender-based violence.”
Walter added: “In a country plagued by one of the highest rates of GBV, continuing to support musicians and artists accused or convicted of sexual abuse sends a dangerous and damaging message.
“If we continue to allow abusers to work without accountability, we normalise their behaviour and undermine the fight against GBV.
“This needs to end.”