MAKHADZI has apologised publicly after backlash over a social media post she made ahead of the planned 30 June march against undocumented foreign nationals.
The award-winning singer, whose real name is Ndivhudzannyi Ralivhona (29), is from Ha-Mashamba village near Elim in Limpopo.
She is known for hit songs such as Ghanama, Murahu and MaGear.
She took to social media to clarify her comments after some people accused her of being divisive.
Makhadzi explained that her concerns were non-political and her message may have been misunderstood because English is not her first language.
"My lovely South Africans, I'd like to clarify that I'm not a politician and I might not have said my mind in a good manner because English is sometimes a problem for me. But I'm really sorry for those who were affected by my previous post," she said.
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She explained that her concerns stemmed from videos circulating online in which people speaking Tshivenda and Xitsonga were allegedly asked to prove their South African citizenship.
"I made my previous post because I was worried about most of the videos we see online, where when you're speaking Venda, people get to doubt that you're a South African citizen. What triggered my post was a recent video where my Zulu brother was asking my Venda brother for an ID. For me, that was sensitive," she said.
Makhadzi said she fears some South Africans could be unfairly targeted simply because others are unfamiliar with languages.
"As we all look forward to the 30th, I was really worried about people who are working in Gauteng who don't know English and only know Tshivenda. From the videos I've watched, it seems as if Venda is viewed as a foreign language, and people end up asking for IDs," she said.
The singer repeated her apology, saying the experience had taught her an important lesson.
"We learn every day. Next time, I'll keep quiet until I find a better way to approach any situation," she said.
