Controversial Afrikaans musician Steve Hofmeyr has confirmed that he will no longer be taking part in the "Afrikaans is Groot" concert.
This comes after weeks of controversy and boycotts over his inclusion on the line-up of the music concert which is set to take place later this year.
Some of the concerts major sponsors pulled out of the concert in March this year after a 2014 tweet from the musician resurfaced on social media.
In it, Hofmeyr said black people were the “architects of apartheid”.
Soon after Media24 and Toyota SA announced that they had ended their relationship with the concert over Hofmeyr's participation and later MTN and Coca-Cola distanced themselves from the show.
In a statement on his Facebook page on Wednesday, Hofmeyr said he had met with concert organisers and had stepped aside to ensure the event's future success.
In the statement, which was posted in Afrikaans, he said, “I do this in the interests of my colleagues and our big production team. I understand the enormous challenges in terms of infrastructure and costs and what the loss of income would mean to my fellow artists.”
He further that said that Sun International would “refuse us their venue in the Cape if I don't make the decision” and expressed anger at sponsors “dictating” to culture and arts. This follows Sun International's request to concert organisers to reconsider Hofmeyr's inclusion.
“It will always grieve me that money, sponsors and political narrative dictate our culture and our arts today. I don't know that language and I have no need to ever learn it. I will not bow my knee to the haters of acquittal, and no boycott will make me silent about my people's grievances,” he said.
He also said that his tours will continue. "My tours will continue regardless and I will not hesitate to trumpet the names of our nation's exterminators, while Sun International, Toyota, MTN and Multichoice have no word on the incitement to violence and hate speech against my people. If they can silence me, they can gently remove us from the picture."