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Themba Gorimbo celebrates Jah Prayzah's US Visa denial
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Zimbabwean-born UFC fighter Themba Gorimbo has publicly celebrated the recent US visa denial of popular musician Jah Prayzah, stirring controversy on social media. Gorimbo took to Facebook to subtly suggest that Jah Prayzah's close association with Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu-PF party might have played a role in the visa refusal.
In a surprising and confrontational video message, Gorimbo declared that, had Jah Prayzah's visa been granted, he would have gone as far as trying to sabotage the singer's US shows.
Jah Prayzah was scheduled to perform in Washington DC last Friday and Dallas, Texas yesterday as part of his "Ndini Mukudzei" world tour. However, the US leg of the tour was abruptly canceled due to visa complications.
Gorimbo described the visa denial as a clear "sign" that Jah Prayzah is unwelcome in the United States. He openly admitted on Facebook, "I like some of his music but he's off the mark. We were waiting for him to come to the USA to call ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] so that his shows are sabotaged. If his visa had been granted, I was going to do so and sabotage him."
Jah Prayzah, however, dismissed allegations that the visa denial was politically motivated or related to social media backlash. He explained, "We attended our visa appointments earlier this month, but due to a technical issue on our application forms, we couldn't proceed. That meant restarting the process and trying to get new appointment dates - and unfortunately, none were available in time."
Despite Jah Prayzah's official explanation, skepticism continues to swirl online. Many social media users are questioning the legitimacy of the reason given, pointing instead to his well-known friendship with Wicknell Chivayo, a controversial Zimbabwean businessman with close ties to the ruling party.
The visa debacle has cast a shadow over Jah Prayzah's US tour plans, while Gorimbo's public remarks have further fueled debates about the intersections of politics, entertainment, and public perception among Zimbabweans at home and abroad.
In a surprising and confrontational video message, Gorimbo declared that, had Jah Prayzah's visa been granted, he would have gone as far as trying to sabotage the singer's US shows.
Jah Prayzah was scheduled to perform in Washington DC last Friday and Dallas, Texas yesterday as part of his "Ndini Mukudzei" world tour. However, the US leg of the tour was abruptly canceled due to visa complications.
Jah Prayzah, however, dismissed allegations that the visa denial was politically motivated or related to social media backlash. He explained, "We attended our visa appointments earlier this month, but due to a technical issue on our application forms, we couldn't proceed. That meant restarting the process and trying to get new appointment dates - and unfortunately, none were available in time."
Despite Jah Prayzah's official explanation, skepticism continues to swirl online. Many social media users are questioning the legitimacy of the reason given, pointing instead to his well-known friendship with Wicknell Chivayo, a controversial Zimbabwean businessman with close ties to the ruling party.
The visa debacle has cast a shadow over Jah Prayzah's US tour plans, while Gorimbo's public remarks have further fueled debates about the intersections of politics, entertainment, and public perception among Zimbabweans at home and abroad.
Source - The Standard
