Ghanaian singer-songwriter Adina Thembi has revealed how misleading social media posts during the recent xenophobic tensions involving South Africans left her dealing with online abuse and worried relatives.

Speaking in an interview, the award-winning musician explained that although she has South African roots through one of her parents, some online users falsely portrayed her as being fully South African, leading to criticism and negative comments.

According to Adina, the posts were created to attract attention rather than genuinely seek her opinion on the situation.

She said, “The comments at me were more like clickbait. It didn’t say, ‘You are half South African, what do you have to say?’ It said, ‘Look at her, she’s full South African. Her whole family is living in Ghana, and we are not doing anything to her.’”

The “Too Late” hitmaker said many Ghanaians are unaware of her mixed heritage because she speaks Twi fluently, which contributed to the misunderstanding. She disclosed that the online attacks soon extended beyond social media, prompting concerned calls from relatives in South Africa.

She continued that, “People in Ghana don’t know I’m half South African because I speak Twi very well. So now my fans, people in Ghana, were attacking me in my DMs. And now it’s causing panic in my family. My South African family called me asking, ‘Are you okay? Do you need us to say anything?’”

Adina also revealed that some South Africans questioned her background because they were unfamiliar with her, despite her heritage.

“Whoever did that, I always say when people are typing, they don’t know the extent of it. Nobody ever said, ‘Adina, do you have anything to say?’ Because obviously I have opinions, but nobody went through it the right way. Rather, they started to attack me and were using it for their own gain because it was blowing up on all platforms,” she expressed concern.

The singer urged social media users to consider the real-life consequences of the content they publish, stressing that misinformation and sensational posts can have serious effects on individuals and their families. Her comments come after xenophobia-related discussions on social media drew widespread reactions across Ghana and South Africa.

Watch the interview below:

@pulseghana “My South African family were calling me, if I was okay, and Ghanaians were in my dm attacking me and it was causing panic” Adina opens up about conversation surrounding xenophobic attacks Our interview with her is finally live on our YouTube channel, go check it out #PulseOneOnOne ♬ original sound – Pulse Ghana

Source: Yvonne Nyarko Agyemang