Rami Chuene slams 'conceited, self-serving, egotistical hogwash hidden behind activism'
Florence Masebe and Rami Chuene defend their “Harveys of SA” comment after being called out by activist Rosie Motene
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Image: Instagram/Rami Chuene
After expressing their hope that the “Harvey Weinstein types” would be brought to justice in SA, Rami Chuene and Florence Masebe were called out by fellow actress Rosie Motene, who questioned where they were when she (and others) spoke up against the “Harveys” in 2018.
AFP reported that Weinstein was convicted on Monday of sexual assault and rape after what was a long, draining court case.
In the wake of the disgraced Hollywood mogul's conviction, Rami and Florence tweeted about how they wished the day of reckoning would come for powerful, predatory SA men.
This apparently didn't sit well with Rosie, who has previously spoken out against abuse, and she took to social media to ask “where the pair were” when she and other women needed support.
“But when we spoke out in 2018, where were they?” Rosie posted on Facebook.
However, Rami and Florence didn't take kindly to the question and Rami wrote a lengthy Twitter thread explaining her reasons.
“What Rosie Motene is asking is: where were we when the others were where they were. If only Rosie knew that this was not a competition on who got abused when and how, then spoke up when and how. There are no ribbons for speaking out. In fact, you support in any way you can,” she started.
Rami said her comments were inspired by the abuse that she and many others have endured at the hands of men.
“Rosie is not the #metoo movement’s poster child and we are responding to something that is topical, relevant and necessary. It will always be, as long as victims are afraid to speak out. Did Rosie maybe want an article in the paper?
“In conclusion: now that Rosie got her medal for first prize, can she kindly sit down. No one has time for conceited, self serving, egotistical hogwash hidden behind activism. There’s too much work to be done,” she said before thanking her large Twitter audience.
Rosie replied to one of the tweets and added that she never wanted to be bigger than the movement. She denied the claim that her question was ego-driven and also added that she would not say anything further.
“If you only know what we have been through since coming out, you would know that it’s not ego driven! Some of this sh*t would have killed people, in fact it’s silenced many!”
So @FloMasebe and @ramichuene you can hurl insults and carry on, I will not reply. We will continue the fight, it’s never been a competition as we have all suffered as survivors working at lifting up victims!
— Rosie Motene- Pan African feminist! 🏳️🌈 (@RosieMotene) February 26, 2020
Read Rami's full thread below.
2. Rosie is not the #metoo movement’s posterchild and we are responding to something that is topical, relevant and necessary. It will always be as long as victims who are afraid to speak out. Did Rosie maybe want an article in the paper? I don’t remember doing an interview
— Rami Chuene🌈🏳️🌈 (@ramichuene) February 26, 2020
3. When you read what times live wrote you see that it’s just tweets. The issue we deal with are more than about just one face (in this case, Rosie wanted it to be hers) Rosie can’t put time frames on people’s stories and how they come out especially about abuse
— Rami Chuene🌈🏳️🌈 (@ramichuene) February 26, 2020
4. This is not about publicity nor about who did it first. Just because I was sexually assaulted at and Flo at 11 and someone else at 20 cos they needed a job, doesn’t make my plight more horrific. We’re in the same boat and now addressing Rosie’s ego instead of helping others
— Rami Chuene🌈🏳️🌈 (@ramichuene) February 26, 2020
5. I wrote a book about my abuse in 2015. And then what? What Rosie has done or doing is to minimize something that could have a lot of people in the industry. Is Rosie’s ego that big? I’m not even going to get into how we supported her when she got assaulted.
— Rami Chuene🌈🏳️🌈 (@ramichuene) February 26, 2020
6. Please tell Rosie that the #metoo movement is bigger than her, bigger than me, bigger than you, bigger than all of us. I’m sure we all appreciate her efforts & encourage her to never stop. We will not stop either. Just put that ego aside and stand together with all of us
— Rami Chuene🌈🏳️🌈 (@ramichuene) February 26, 2020
7. No one is sprinting for 1st prize, oh wait, Rosie already took it. BUT for everyone else, we are walking this journey- slowly but surely- through counseling, praying, supporting each other so there will be healing, restoration and hopefully, another zest for life
— Rami Chuene🌈🏳️🌈 (@ramichuene) February 26, 2020
8. In conclusion: now that Rosie got her medal for 1st prize, can she kindly sit down. No one has time for conceited, self serving, egotistical hogwash hidden behind activism. There’s too much work to be done. I thank you.
— Rami Chuene🌈🏳️🌈 (@ramichuene) February 26, 2020
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Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.