SA celebs who rallied behind their American brothers & sisters after the killing of George Floyd

“We witnessed modern day lynching through the murder of George Floyd. I’ll never forget his voice and plea”

01 January 2021 - 14:00 By Masego Seemela
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Actress Nomzamo Mbatha stands in solidarity with Americans after George Floyd's senseless killing.
Actress Nomzamo Mbatha stands in solidarity with Americans after George Floyd's senseless killing.
Image: Nomzamo Mbatha/Instagram

One can attest that 2020 was one hectically sad year with numerous events that took place. One event that many will never forget was the senseless killing of American citizen George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer in June that sparked worldwide outrage. 

The outrage came after a video went viral on social media of George's neck being pinned down by a white police officer's knee during an arrest in Minneapolis, US.

The killing of Floyd led to many people across the world mobilising to protest against racism and police brutality.

George's killing also saw some of our faves, such as actress Nomzamo Mbatha, stand in solidarity with our American brothers and sisters as they continued the fight against police brutality. 

Hurt by George's brutal death, Nomzamo took to Instagram and poured her heart out at the senseless murder, saying his voice and plea would stay with her for life.

Nomzamo added her voice to the outrage by sharing a cartoon on Instagram of a policeman sitting next to a little boy.

In the post, the officer asks the boy what he wants to be when he grows up. The boy responds by saying, “alive”.

“We witnessed modern day lynching through the murder of George Floyd. I’ll never forget his voice and plea. A part of me was wishing I didn’t see that video, but to look away is to deny. We must witness the pain to know just how we are seen. Unseen”, Nomzamo wrote.

Muso Zakes Bantwini also spoke out about the murder of George and the Black Lives Matter movement. 

He took to Twitter and announced that he was postponing his concert in honour of the black lives lost at the hands of the police.

He said the reason for postponing the concerts was due to, “Mourning the death of Collin Khoza and fellow Africans at the hands of the police/army.”

As the number of femicide killings continued to increase this year, radio personality Anele Mdoda in June questioned what it would take for the country to rise up.

She hoped there would be the kind of action that was triggered by American citizen George's killing, where people across the world would mobilise to protest against femicide

While many have focused on how much Black Lives Matter, the media personality emphasised that women's lives also matter.

This came after the hashtag #JusticeforTshego made the rounds on social media in June, when a heavily pregnant Tshegofatso Pule was found murdered, hanging from a tree.

As many called for justice for Pule, Anele took to Twitter to express great sadness at the gruesome death, asking which woman's death would unite men and women to protest  against femicide.

“I wonder who our George Floyd as SA women will be. A brutal death of one woman where even men will hit the streets and say enough. I am sad that a pregnant woman hung from a tree is not that moment. Maybe it too needs to be caught on camera. I don't know. I'm sad.”

Anele was not the only female celeb to lash out against the increase in femicide in SA. Dineo Langa, Bonnie Mbuli, Lerato Sengadi, Simphiwe Dana and Buhle Samuels have expressed their heartbreak over the femicide killings recently.


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