'Stop killing our sister'

Dear children of Azania

This breaks my heart but it must be said anyway.

I have noticed the recent stories these days on newspapers about boyfriends who kill their 'loved ones' for some odd or rather stupidity reasons. In the past two weeks i have read about 5 stories of these incidents. it breaks me apart to see this happening and seeing my sister's lives being taken just like that for what? insecurities?.

last week i read about a guy who shot his baby mama in front of their child, luckily enough she survived, again last week another one stabbed his girlfriend 11 times because he suspected that she had aborted his child. i notice there was no hype about these incidents in our social media, no one talked about it, but had it been someone with poor English or humiliated themselves ngabe itrend(a) even today.

The last one really makes me sick. this one ke a guy told his girlfriend to visit home from Durban (where she is working) to NoNgoma because he 'misses' her. when they met he stabbed and cut her throat. isizathu sikabhuti uthi ubebona ukuthi umama wengane yakhe usezomubalekela ngoba esethole umsebenzi eThekwini ngoba yena engasebenzi, how absurd is that?.

I

think we as women need platforms to address these issues, we cannot turn a blind eye. i challenge every sister to voice out their opinions about this and make a change let's for once create a trend that will not only educate but help millions as well.

#StopKillingOurSisters #SAneedsChrist #WomanStandUp #WeCare #OneLove #SisterLover

Open View : Khanyi Mdluli

To weave or not to weave
Dear people of Azania

I have ignored this for a while but eventually i had to write about it. so here it is.....
I've come to realize how hard it is being a woman in this country these days, many people think they've got an opinion on how we should look like. especially with our hair. everybody seem to have an opinion on our hair these days. taking about being all African and loving your natural hair.

It funny how brothers talk so much about something we barely permit them to touch. I've had many of them convincing but yet debatable conversations with them brothers, which is why i finally decided to write about this. Most of them are of course with the rest of the world judging sisters who weave their hair. Saying things like the sister is not proud of her heritage if she happens to be living under the lifestyle of wearing weaves *sighs* that's an opinion i get that but what i have come to realize is that most of these brothers dates or used to date women with weaves but now find women who are considered 'natural' more cheap and affordable.  It ironically how brothers don't judge the sisters who skin bleach and change their colour of original birth. they always find them beautiful  or attractive "Yellow Bones" right? but yet judge women who wear weaves *that's a story for another day*

What gets to my nerves mostly is them sisters who judge other sisters calming they are better then them because they choose to go natural or to braid their hair. these sisters claim they know and respect their traditions as if the other group does not. what i always find amusing is the fact that 98% of these sisters had been wearing weaves before this 'being natural' saga started trending. Now that they've decided to change their lifestyle suddenly this is wrong. (wow). On the other hand you find our 'celebrities sisters' who preach being natural wearing these afro weaves, the fact that it is afro and it almost look like your hair does not take away the fact that it a WEAVE.

one more thing we should notice is that the other group who wear weaves don't go around calling the other group names nor claiming they are pretty than them. *think about it*

I know this will cause lot of havoc and debates but it is my VIEW and as a permanent VOTING citizen i think it counts. PERSONALLY, i am a person of tradition, was raised with customs and traditions and i am very much cultural grounded. I love and respect my culture and traditions because i believe they made me the person that i am today. i can say that i am a mixture of both, i love being a Nubian princess that i am, but i also wear weaves from time to time and honestly looking at myself in the mirror with these two characters i always see me. i always say it is the person within you that counts you be all natural and all but if your deeds say other wise then you are a waste.

I believe i am always beautiful whether with my natural afro, wearing a doek or with weave all in all throughout these characters i am still me. the person who love and respect her heritage. I AM AN AFRICAN i value myself and my people I AM AFRICAN PRIDE, I AM A BLACK GIRL MAGIC, I AM A CHILD OF AZANIA, DAUGHTER OF THE SOIL

Azania open view
Khanyi Mdlui

Dear black sister

Don't torture yourself because of your stretch marks. This dignifies the woman in you. Your stretch marks are your African Pride. It is time to let go of that negative energy of hiding in a corner and trying to look good for someone else. This time it is all about you. You, owning up and standing for what makes you a woman. T

he moment you start accepting yourself and love you flawlessly everybody else will see the good in you and follow your foot steps.

Open view has been following a beautiful initiative on instagram called #LoveYourLines ❤ and was inspired to share

" The journey of selflove is treacherous one. it means embracing things you previously called ugly, even if it was yourself. It means saying no to people when things no longer serve higher purpose, even if they were your best friend. it means letting love and light guide the way instead of allowing society to dictate your life"  @spiritstock

remember your lines make you the woman that you are and they all tells a story. your lines show growth and maturity. #loveandRespectYourLines

...........You are beautiful with your lines

Azania Open View

Khanyi Mdluli