By: Poelano Malema
South African actor Xolile Tshabalala has taken to social media to address a video showing ANC officials eating chicken feet which they bought from a local vendor.
In the video, the officials can be heard saying that they bought “for the sake of the vote”.
Community Safety MEC Faith Mazibuko can also be heard saying: “Local economy. Chicken feet are sold out. They know they must vote for the ANC.”
Tshabalala slammed the officials saying they were making fun of the vendor.
“Growing up I was taught that you never betray your race, especially an African race,” says the actor.
“Last week we heard about the politicians who were mocking lo mama lo othengisayo amaotwana (who sells chicken feet).
“It really broke my heart to know that these are the people who we are supposedly to be the leaders who now make a mockery of a woman sitting in the corner selling amautwana (chicken feet) to raise her children, to educate her children.”
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She said when she was growing up, the community had a duty to buy from the street vendors to help them support their family.
“That woman who was sitting in that corner selling whatever she was selling, be it amaotwana, be it amangwinya, she was supporting family yakhe and we knew for a fact that that woman one day kuzophuma udokotela emndenini wakhe, kuzophuma ilawyer emzini wakhe and it was part of the community to honour and respect that person. ”
She says now we have politicians that think they have become so above all of us that they see nothing wrong with making a mockery of a woman selling at the corner to support her family.
The actor says it is wrong to ridicule other people’s hustles.
“You cannot mock another human being, especially mock their misfortunes in life,” said the actor.
She asked South Africans to reflect.
READ: Unathi took to the streets to support local vendors before the lockdown
Watch her video below.
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Image courtesy of Instagram/ @Xoliletshabalala
