Zandile Khumalo: 'The time of shrinking to make others comfortable is over'

Zandile Gumede (née Khumalo) has been the centre of social media attention since she began to give testimony as a state witness in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial. 

What she said while on the stand has sparked conversation on the socials. However, the singer seems unbothered and took to her Instagram timeline to show herself love. 

“Hamba uyoduma ezizweni zungalibali ikhaya lakho, jnhlonipho,uthando noxolo luhlale lugqamile enhliziyweni yakho. The time of shrinking to make others comfortable is over, the time of dimming our light to make others comfortable is over ... the time of suppressing our magic to make others comfortable is over. Zandile Lorraine Khumalo, you are a warrior, uliqhawe, and I fall in love with you every day. Public figure, Popola Mapopola,” she wrote. 

In an interview with eNCA recently, Zandile said she was baffled by how people reacted to her request for a media blackout during her testimony.

“This is a democratic country. I was exercising my rights and I feel that is why the court took about two days for the plea. They found it was within my rights to exercise that and I don't know why now it is a hoo-ha that I exercise my rights, as this is a democratic country.” 

She said people are entitled to their own opinions about the case, but she was focusing on testifying. 

“My family and I, there's no platform we haven't been to, trying to explain what happened. But it seems they choose what to listen to and they make their own decisions. So, I was like, I don't owe anybody anything right now because they've had their chance and now the only people I need to testify to is just the court. Whether there is a camera there or not, I'm just there to testify. That's all.”

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