Lebo Mashile slammed for comments on GBV

Poet and actress Lebo Mashile has caught heat online for her most recent commentary on gender-based violence.

It all started after Twitter users got into a debate about rape, sexual assault and sexual abuse allegations on a scale much larger than individual cases. The discussion migrated to chats about people who were aware that their partners/spouses have GBV-related accusations levelled against them.

Lebo made her stance clear: The star will always show respect towards women (who she calls 'M') in this predicament, regardless of whether they know that their partners have allegations against them.

“I’ll always extend grace to women, because no matter which side of the situation you are on, as a woman, it’s always shitty. It’s shitty for the victims of the perpetrator, it’s shitty for his partner, it’s shitty if M leaves, or if she remains silent, or speaks out,” she wrote.

However, Lebo's comments were met with criticism online. Many disagreed with her stance, saying she was encouraging others to ignore accusations against alleged perpetrators.

Check out their comments below:

The Hotel Rwanda star often weighs in on GBV and how society should be tackling the dubbed 'second pandemic'. Just recently, the star took to Twitter to say that victims of GBV still feel a deep sense of shame even in this more “aware” society.

She also highlighted that with more discussions around GBV cropping up, it has made it easier for more victims to come forward with their stories.

“This marks a change in our culture. We’re moving towards creating a society where victims are believed. However, please be aware of the legal implications of naming someone as a perpetrator. This could lead to further trauma. Make sure you aren’t inadvertently breaking the law,” she tweeted.