Baloyi is among those whose visas the US State Department has revoked, citing their celebration of Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
After his United States (US) visa was announced to be on the revoked list, Nota Baloyi said he is being targeted for his stand against right-wing South Africans.
“Many South African right-wingers see me as an enemy to their cause to create awareness around a non-existent white genocide in South Africa,” Baloyi told The Citizen.
Baloyi is among those whose visas have been revoked by the US State Department, citing their celebration of Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
In a comical thread on X (formerly Twitter), the department quoted six social media posts from a Paraguayan, Brazilian, German, Argentine and a Mexican among those whose visas were revoked.
“The United States has no obligation to host foreigners who wish death on Americans,” said the US State Department in a statement.
It didn’t reveal the identities of all the quoted social media users who vocalised their disdain for Kirk; however, despite not revealing Baloyi’s identity, most South Africans could tell that they had quoted his tweet.
In the tweet that was viewed as problematic by the US State department, Baloyi described white people as “Neanderthals”.
The tweet, which caught the attention of the US State Department, has now been deleted, with Baloyi apologising.
Kirk was the co-founder of the conservative student organisation Turning Point USA (TPUSA). He was shot dead on a Utah college campus last month, in an assassination caught on video.
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Baloyi’s history of offensive comments
Earlier this year, while speaking on a DJ Sbu podcast broadcast on YouTube, The Hustler’s Corner SA, Baloyi said white people are lesser than black people.
“White people are [an] inferior species to us. We’re Homo sapiens; they have got Neanderthal blood in them. This is the science. This science was not done by black people; it was done by them,” said Baloyi on the podcast.
A few months later, Baloyi was forced to apologise for his hate speech directed at the white community.
“I wish to extend my apology to anyone who felt threatened or hurt by my words,” said Baloyi, with phone in hand, reading out the apology on DJ Sbu’s podcast, The Hustler’s Corner.
Baloyi said the revocation of his visa stems from those comments he made earlier this year.
“It started there and that is why when the State Department announced that they would be revoking visas of people who were seen to be making light of the death of Charlie Kirk, they decided to target me and make it seem as if my post was celebrating his death.”
Some people have made far worse comments about Kirk’s death than what Baloyi said; however, he said his fame has placed a bullseye on him.
“They [other commentators] are not famous as I am, and those people are not seen as an enemy to South African Right-wingers.”
ALSO READ: ‘My words were hurtful’ – Nota apologises after hateful speech
Baloyi to reapply
Baloyi said he won’t fight the US State Department’s decision. “I don’t need to fight, I’ve been asked to reapply for another visa and I have every intention of doing so,” he said.
“My visa was a business visa, which allowed me to attend conferences. I’ve gotten to a stage where I need a visa that allows me to do more work.”
Despite the controversy surrounding him, Baloyi said no one can accuse him of spreading “anti-black narratives.”
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