Ghanaian Songstress, Adina Thembi, has spoken about the emotional distress she endured after misleading social media posts linked her to the recent xenophobic tensions involving South Africa, revealing that the misinformation triggered panic among her relatives and exposed her to online harassment.
In an interview, the award-winning musician explained that while she has South African roots through one of her parents, the narrative circulating online falsely portrayed her identity and fueled unwarranted criticism.
Adina stated that the viral posts were created primarily to attract attention rather than genuinely seek her perspective on the issue.
“The comments directed at me were mainly clickbait. It didn’t say, ‘You are half South African, what do you have to say?’ Instead, it said, ‘Look at her, she’s fully South African. Her entire family is living in Ghana, and nothing is happening to her,’” she recounted.
She explained that many Ghanaians are unaware of her mixed heritage because she speaks Twi fluently, leading some social media users to assume she is entirely South African.
“Most people in Ghana don’t know I’m half South African because I speak Twi very well. So my fans and other people in Ghana started attacking me through direct messages,” she disclosed.
The singer noted that the false narrative extended beyond social media, causing concern among members of her family in both Ghana and South Africa.
“It created panic in my family. My relatives in South Africa called to ask if I was okay and whether they needed to speak out,” she revealed.
According to Adina, some South Africans also questioned her identity, with several saying they were unfamiliar with her despite her South African background.
Reflecting on the incident, the singer urged social media users and content creators to carefully consider the consequences of the information they publish online.
“Whoever created that post probably didn’t realise the impact it would have. Nobody approached me to ask for my opinion, even though I have one. Instead, people attacked me, and others used the situation for their own benefit because it was trending across different platforms,” she said.
