OPINION | Preference or paedophile: where does Zodwa Wabantu’s love for Ben 10s fall?

Zodwa Wabantu took to social media and proudly shouted, “Yah ... I'm a paedophile ... I'm a predator, I eat children,” — and she mostly didn't get called out for it because she's woman.

That doesn't sit well with me at all, and I know I'm not the only one.

Zodwa Wabantu is a liberated, free-spirited woman and I adore her “I don't give a f***" stance on most things in life. That's why I mostly take the things she says on social media with a pinch of salt. She's often a breath of fresh air in the company of these tailored, fake celebs.

But haai, listening to her proudly shout that creeped me TF out. Here's the video:

Initially I laughed, mostly because it took me a while to realise that when she said what I thought was “pre-data”, she was actually saying predator. That was hilarious. However, once that joke passed, something about that real admission said in “jest” didn't sit well with me.

There's evidence that Zodwa likes young men. That's her preference, her type. Bar the ones we don't know about, we've met a couple of her love interests and the one thing they have in common is their age.

And after hearing people's concern over her “predatory” behaviour towards Ben 10s, Zodwa said her critics should leave her alone or go to the police if they have a problem with her.

“They must leave me alone. They say that I am a paedophile or predator, but if they feel that way, they must go open a case.”

What Zodwa is careful to do — unlike R Kelly, who married an under-age Aaliyah — she waits for “her children” to get a bit older than 18. By law, she doesn't like children, she's into young adults, so technically she's no paedophile at least not in the same league as people like Jeffrey Epstein.

By definition, a paedophile is a person who is sexually attracted to children.

But just the other day, the internet was bashing Jada Pinkett Smith over getting in an entanglement with August Alsina. Jada is 48 years old. August is 27. The argument was, if it was Will Smith who made advances on, say, Willow's 23-year-old friends, the conversation would be different. Will would have joined the long list of embarrassing black males that are trash.

In SA, we've got to a point where we've normalised sugar-daddies/blessers with pretty young things on their arms. This is partially because in African culture it has never been frowned upon for an older man to date and even go on to marry much younger women. Most of our gogos got married to 30-year-old men when they were half their age but we've changed a lot since then.

That brings me back to this: in 2020, is it OK for Zodwa to proudly prefer young men? If yes, then why can't the same logic be used when a Mandla Mthembu makes advances and eventually bags a 19-year-old Khanyi Mbau?

So then are R Kelly and Zodwa in the same league? Yes and no, I guess. They have similar preferences, but Zodwa doesn't force anybody to look her way.

Responding to the criticism on Instagram, Zodwa wrote: “They [young men] go for me and if I like them, I say yes.”

So maybe she should say no rather — just like R Kelly should have told the young girls that lost their minds over him and his Bump n' Grind sexiness. Whatever the remedy is, Zodwa can't “not be called out” because she's a woman. Young boys, just like young girls, get damaged.

Also, if we are going to call men out for paedophilia-like tendencies, then women should receive the same wrath. This is not a subject for double standards.