Ubuntu n. dev. South African - a quality that includes the essential human virtues; compassion and humanity.

I am an African.

Everyone who has uplifted me in my journey, the people whose opinion I value the most, the people who have the largest influence on my life and decision making process, from the person I make love to and am growing, planning a future with to my business partners who advocate for, root for, promote for and support @baabmedia are not South African. They’re international persons of high esteem.

When I saw the video of a man on fire being kicked and beaten to death while he fought for his life surface on social media it made me question what it means to be #ProudlySouthAfrican.

I wanted to keep quiet with hopes that it would get better. It did not.
I hid hoping that it would go away. It did not.
My spirit then experienced a different kind of exhaustion. When activism has been part of how I define myself for my entire life watching that video felt like a gushing wind came and took every bit of hope out of me to say “give up, what is the point?”

So, I chose to disassociate. Me? An influential person with a large platform that has changed lives.  I mean not digital clout but, real life impact and change.
We freed Diane Rwigara in Rwanda. #FreeDianeRwigara - our hashtag.
We broke the story of LGBT rights being lawful in Trinidad.
We freed girls from Boko Haram in Nigeria.
Yes I’m talking all the way back to 2014.
We had the minister of finance Tito Mboweni follow us on Twitter and even mention us in his budget speech about the tax on sanitary pads and tampons.
All of this impact and here I was defeated emotionally, mentally and spiritually.

Then I remembered Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu when he said:

If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.

I had to go back to my identity and step outside of the pride and comfort of my ego. 

So, the truth is:
My best friend is Indonesian.
My close friend is Zimbabwean.
My close friend is Kazakh.
My close friend is Chinese,
My boyfriend is Serbian.
My social circle consists of Nigerians.
My business partners are American & Nigerian.
I went to school and lived in Switzerland for 4 years.
I lived in America for one year. 
I travel world on an annual basis.
I am a global citizen by definition.

In the age of globalization one cannot and must not exist in isolation.
You say foreigners are taking your jobs, your women and opportunities?
Why is this violent energy only directed towards African immigrants?
As if the blind truth of undocumented wealthy European nationals do not exist and dominate the Western Cape?
Is this hatred and ‘fear’ only ignited when those foreign nationals are poor and black?

South Africa is in trouble and I once found a quote on Tumblr that said: 
Don’t introduce me to an energy you cannot maintain.

This is the importance of Ubuntu.