Unathi Nkayi to SA men: 'Your silence is so loud when it comes to GBV'

Veteran radio personality and Idols SA judge Unathi Nkayi has penned a letter to SA men regarding their "silent" response towards gender-based violence (GBV) and the safety of women in the country. 

With the 16 Days of Activism against GBV campaign underway, Unathi pointed out how quiet many SA men continue to be when it comes to GBV.  

Taking to Instagram, Unathi shared a black picture with the words "Dear men, may your daughters meet guys like you" with a kissy emoji on it.

She coupled the picture with a caption that explained why she was posting the message. 

"This spoke to me in both ways. There are so many amazing men I know and many not so amazing.

"But allow me to keep it to one specific theme, your silence which is so loud when it comes to GBV and our safety." 

Unathi said she's been told that perhaps one reason why some men were silent about GBV was because they were unsure whether they were guilty of this in their younger years. 

"A male friend once confessed that it’s because some of them don’t know if they were guilty of it in the past, when they were young and did not know.

"As I leave you with the reminder that bad things happen when good people keep quiet, I also forgive you for keeping quiet when a woman was being ill-treated in front of you for whatever reason and you kept quiet." 

Unathi added a strong message to men who abuse women and girls, saying she hopes their daughters become victims of the same acts of violence. 

"May your daughters never meet guys like you 'cause she’ll see you for the coward you really are and that would shatter her world."