South African singer Simphiwe Dana has waded into the political fray, urging her followers not to vote for the Democratic Alliance (DA), while also telling them to steer clear of the ANC and EFF.
In a Facebook post, Dana appeared to acknowledge that she was breaking an earlier commitment not to tell people how to vote.
“Please do not vote for DA. Ok ok. I said I will not tell you who to vote for. I guess I lied,” she wrote.
She then broadened her appeal, adding: “Vote for any political party outside of DA, ANC, and EFF.”
But rather than producing a chorus of agreement, the intervention triggered a sharp backlash from some of her own followers, several of whom openly rejected her appeal and declared their support for the very parties she had told them to avoid.
Tamsanqa Tu said he appreciated Dana’s outspokenness and respected her right to express political opinions, but would nevertheless vote ANC.
“I love you and your art, and I appreciate your outspokenness and respect your freedom to express opinions, but I will vote ANC!” he wrote.
Dennis Moremi was equally dismissive, telling the musician to concentrate on her career rather than attempting to influence voters.
“You must focus on marketing for gigs rather than talking us who to vote for,” Moremi wrote, adding that the EFF was his choice and that of his family.
Another follower, Thulani Mbana, questioned Dana’s authority to tell voters what political choices to make.
“Who are you to tell us what not to do? I vote DA all the way,” Mbana wrote.
Mmomotse was similarly blunt.
“You’re not in a position to tell us who to vote, I’m voting DA unapologetically so,” the follower said.
Bongani Gcaba also rejected Dana’s intervention, saying he was a “proudly ANC member” and would vote for the governing party.
The exchange highlights the increasingly contested space occupied by celebrities when they enter political debates, a public platform can give an artist an enormous audience, but it does not necessarily translate into political influence over that audience.
Dana’s post was unequivocal in its message against the DA, ANC and EFF.
Her followers’ responses, however, demonstrated that at least some members of her audience were unwilling to simply follow her political cue.
Rather than producing a unified response, the post became a miniature political battlefield, with supporters of the ANC, DA and EFF pushing back against the musician from different directions.
For Dana, the episode also illustrates the risk of moving from political commentary to directly telling an audience how it should vote.
Her followers did not appear particularly interested in taking instructions.
