Our society is richly diverse, as is the case with many African countries. As much as it is a good thing, it brings along challenges of balancing the scores of cultural exclusiveness.
That is so even troubling when one culture adopts another or worse still, when a culture is assimilated by another. The peoples of one such country will inevitably lead a blended lifestyle that expresses the dominant culture. African peoples are victims to culture assimilation and especially domination. An attempt to discredit the negativity of the assimilating culture is often met with accusations of stereo-typing.
Most often frown upon those who do not embrace lesbians and gays, prescribing dress codes and enforcing public decency. We encountering a rapidly growing number of young African women expressing confidence by performing various unprintable deeds captured in home-made videos. Of course some would be partly dressed at most whilst others come as naked as the word. Being a too cautious nation, we tend to limit our views to just passing on the video. Let’s break the ice.
Look, a person like Zodwa wa Bantu is out of order. Period! In a recent video, she is recorded on stage, advising young women revellers to prostitute themselves. We are yet to have an opinion on her trademark nakedness. Therefore, she doubles the problem by evangelising profitable use of women’s sexual assets. Her crusade is not helpful to our course of raising a young nation that exudes dignity and stature. She has reason to celebrate the architecture of her body with less provocativeness.
There is no social or legal prescription for dressing up in this country. We are a democracy that upholds and protects human rights including dressing style. Rights come with responsibilities. We share space with the free-minded ones like Zodwa. That alone calls for humility and a sense of reasonableness. I mean, what would be her unshakeable excuse for greedily exposing her private part?
Our community of Moretele is peri-urban. Therefore, an opportunity to practise this prostitution of a special type as suggested by Zodwa is within reach. Our community is lodged in an environment of high level of unemployment, low-income employment, lack of alternative sources of income and recreational amenities. These factors are capable of energising the appetite to test-drive her suggestion. Consequences are guaranteed to include anything from abandoning school, sexually transmitted Illness, injuries, abductions, murder and hard drug use. We should not welcome negative input into the morality of our young women.
One is not exactly condoning patriarchy and social rigidity but advocates for finding a balance between what is morally right and enjoyment of civil liberties. Ours is a religious community that frowns upon left-sided conduct. An individual is expected to find harmony between their needs and that of the society.
Naturally, Zodwa considers herself a role model if her comments were to be trusted. Someone who should be celebrated by our society and used as a point of reference to our youth of Moretele or elsewhere in the world, must demonstrate moral stability. Our society needs lesser of her as a model sister, woman, entrepreneur, entertainer and the mom she is. Let us stand up and undo her teachings, protect and guide our young women.
When you empower a girl child, you empower a nation.
Skhova
