JOHANNESBURG

South Africans expressed outrage Wednesday after Ugandan authorities deported legendary musician Yvonne Chaka Chaka hours before her scheduled New Year concert in the capital Kampala. 

Observes say Chaka Chaka was deported because she recently praised Ugandan pop-star-turned opposition politician, Robert Kyagulanyi -- also known as Bobi Wine -- who has become a challenger of Uganda's 33-year President Yoweri Museveni.

"Museveni must never treat Uganda as his private property. The deportation of one of Africa’s prominent cultural icon must indicate that the Ugandan regime is making an application for continental & international isolation #MuseveniMustFall,’’ Mbuyiseni Ndlozi, spokesman of South Africa's opposition Economic Freedom Fighters Party (EFF), said in a statement.

Ugandan police spokesman Fred Enanga said Tuesday evening Chaka Chaka had entered the country on an ordinary visitor's visa and could not be allowed to perform as she was required to obtain a special working visa. She was therefore deported, he said.

"So taking a photo with Bob Wine now amount to a deportation for a South African and could that have gotten the same action had it being with Museveni," a Twitter user said.

‘‘This is what we have been saying about @KagutaMuseveni, he thinks he owns Uganda, just like Mugabe [former Zimbabwean president], Gaddafi [former Libyan leader], dos Santos [former President of Angola], and all the ruthless senile dictators in the continent #MuseveniMustFall," another user with the handle @wills071 tweeted.

Chaka Chaka, born in 1965 is an internationally recognized South Affican singer, songwriter, actress, entrepreneur, humanitarian and teacher.

She is popularly known as the Princess of Africa, a name she received after a 1990 tour.

Chaka Chaka has been at the forefront of South African popular music for 27 years and has been popular in many African countries for her revolutionary songs that campaigned aganist apartheid.