Kwaito legend and one-third of the hit 1990s and 2000s group TKZee, Kabelo “Bouga Luv” Mabalane might not be releasing new music anytime soon. This is as the last time the musician released any music was over ten years ago in 2012.
As such, Kabelo has been spearheading a number of activations in the years since turning his life around to help men who have a similar past as he does to turn their lives around. But it does not mean that his efforts have been welcomed by the general “female activist and feminist” movements.
Kabelo Mabalane spearheads the Brave Men's Conference
Taking to Instagram recently, Kabelo Mabalane revealed that he is spearheading the Brave Men’s Conference. Similar to the mythical “men’s conference,” it seems that the conference is aimed at men sharing their experiences with abuse, mental health, and other struggles they have faced with the aim of healing through Christ.
However, there were some comments that continued to remind the father of two and husband that he might not be the ideal fit to lead the conversation due to his abusive past. It seems that those comments came from activists like Nampree, who do not believe in rehabilitation or reformation.
I can imagine how good abusers feel after attending his service. He also got into a campaign that said "There's hope for you" talking to abusers. Akumnandi sana. Hallelujah!
Moreover, this is not the first time that Kabelo has faced backlash for endorsing anti-abuse and gender-based violence campaigns. Back in November 2021, the matter was reported as:
Kabelo Mabalane has received backlash for taking part in a gender-based violence initiative which seeks to "empower" perpetrators to get help. This received mixed reactions from social media users who are baffled by his audacity to start a campaign where he sends out a positive message to perpetrators, especially after admitting to being a former abuser himself.
#NoExcuse is an initiative he started in partnership with Carling Black Label to end this worrisome act of violence between couples, referred to as Intimate Partner Violence (IPV). The initiative wants wedding vows to be re-written and to include the promise to never abuse your partner in any way, shape or form.
Phethola wrote on her IG that the initiative is in talks with the department of home affairs to ensure that people include this promise in their vows. There is even a petition to make this change effective, "@carlingblacklabel would like to re-write the wedding vows to acknowledge the promise never to harm or abuse your partner. A commitment that all South Africans can make to oppose domestic violence.
