File: Afrobeats star Ayra Starr and Consul-General of South Africa to Nigeria, Prof Bobby Moroe
The South African Consul-General to Nigeria, Prof Bobby Moroe, has said Nigerian singer, Ayra Starr, was initially denied a visa because she submitted an inappropriate yellow fever certificate.
Moroe, who disclosed this in an interview with Saturday PUNCH, said the visa rejection was not a recent development as portrayed, but occurred in February 2024.
The envoy said the controversy resurfaced after reports alleged that Starr and her team were denied entry visas to South Africa, prompting the South African mission to meet with her team and clarify the requirements that needed to be fulfilled.
According to him, the rejection was based on failure to meet visa requirements and was not related to the singer’s personality or status as a Nigerian seeking entry into the country.
