Idris Elba teams up with SA & other African stars for Covid-19 relief, but Zim muso feels 'sidelined'

Megastar Idris Elba wants to team up with some of Africa’s biggest stars to raise funds for Covid-19 relief, including Mzansi’s very own AKA and Sho Madjozi.

Idris took to Twitter over the weekend to announce that he would be part of a home concert to celebrate Africa Day and raise funds for the battle against the Covid-19 pandemic.

The concert’s line-up includes Sho, AKA, Tanzania's Diamond Platnumz, Congolese musician Fally Ipupa, Kenyan pop-soul group Sauti Sol and Nigeria's Burna Boy, Yemi Alade and Tiwa Savage

It will be streamed on MTV Base (DStv channel 322) and YouTube on May 25.

While most were excited about the concert, including the Sho stans and AKA's megacy, Zimbabwean artist Buffalo Souljah slammed his country’s exclusion from the programme.

“Practising African unity must start from these events. You want us to come together yet you continue to sideline Zimbabwe and other African countries. It doesn’t have to be me (in the line-up). We have other top Zimbabwean artists like Jah Prayzah and  DJ Winky D who deserve to be in this.”

Taking to Instagram to repeat his call, Buffalo Souljah questioned whether the event’s organisers wanted Zimbabweans to tune in

“How long shall we stand and watch? Are we not worthy? I always say if you do any African events, remember to try and include all the African representatives, unless, of course, you don’t want our audience.”

Zambian dance hall star DJ Cosmo joined the criticism, adding there was no African unity and those from other countries did not feel included.

“For a long time my brother Buffalo Souljah has been saying Africa can never be united if this kind of doing things continues. To be honest, we don’t feel a part of this. Africa is too big to be represented by the same faces and same countries,” he wrote, encouraging Idris to “kindly balance up” the list.