Poet Lebo Mashile slams men who don't speak out more against sexual abuse

'Kana when you ask SA men to be accountable ba re you’re bashing them & playing the victim'

12 March 2020 - 15:00
By Masego Seemela
Poet and former TV presenter Lebo Mashile wants men to more open about women affected by abuse.
Image: Instagram/Lebo Mashile Poet and former TV presenter Lebo Mashile wants men to more open about women affected by abuse.

Lebo Mashile has urged men to be more vocal about their feelings surrounding women who have been violated.

The poet shared her sentiments on Twitter.

In a thread, Lebo said her issue was that men were posting more about “aggressive and manipulative” women to point out that women were also abusive, instead of talking about how they felt about women they knew being violated. 

“It’s very likely that most, if not all, of the women in your life have experienced some form of abuse. I don’t hear men talking about what they think about that, what they think about other men, what they think about the culture we live in and how it’s actually traumatising women.

“Instead, you post about a demographic of highly manipulative and abusive women, that is tiny compared to women who have been silenced and repeatedly abused who still wake up every day and love your a**es while you pretend this sh*t is not happening all around you. Please tu. Evolve.”

Lebo concluded by saying that when one called out South African men, they saw it as criticism. 

“Kana when you ask SA men to be accountable ba re you’re bashing them & playing the victim.”