YouTube sensation and beauty influencer Mihlali Ndamase is following in the footsteps of other powerful ZAlebs like Pearl Thusi, and establishing herself as a formidable voice in all matters activism. But it is not the easiest space to break into, especially on social media, as she recently learned when she was attacked for her opinions.
She recently went online to complain about the outcry Uncle Waffles was getting because her underwear was exposed during one of her performances. Mihlali, like other DJ Zinhle and Lamiez Holworthy who stood up for the young dancing DJ, thought that the people had no right to try and dictate what Uncle Waffles can or can’t wear.
But it was her wording that landed her in trouble with men in Mzansi. She accused Mzansi men of trying to control the DJ’s wardrobe.
South African men wanting to police Uncle Waffle’s dress code is so tired.
— Mihlali Ndamase 🤍 (@mihlalii_n) December 7, 2021
Tweeps have been pouring into her comments to drag her for what they consider an unfair generalization. They are pointing out that it was not just men commenting on her outfit, but women too, and that Mihlali simply has an agenda she is trying to push with her comment.
Some men for whom the shoe fits are coming out to defend themselves saying that it’s not about controlling or policing; they just want her to be honest about what she is selling and what she is truly famous for.
It all came down when one tweep took his time to school the influencer on the damage that could be done by such generalizations. In a thread, he laid out how such opinions could be a factor in racial profiling, which could result in the criminalization of black men. In his assessment, it all begins with black women widely sharing damaging ideas of black men, like Mihlali had apparently just done.
"call a man a dog and hang him". This means its so easy 2 kill a man after their name hs been draged in the mud. U can kill hm in front of crowds nd thy wont even feel sympathy cz the enemy of their wellbeing is erased. They keep giving us a bad name conveniently 4 the white man
— Andile underscore (@poorurbankid) December 7, 2021
Read also: Mihlali Not So Famous After All?
While his passion for the topic is understandable, it may be a bit of a stretch. Nowhere in Mihlali’s post did she mention any race, and all she did was hold Mzansi men accountable for the way they were dragging Uncle Waffles for the equivalent of sagged trousers, a trend men engage in every day and nobody has a meltdown. But go off, I guess.
However, while she was calling out the men’s hypocrisy, she forgot her own double standards. One tweep dragged out an old tweet where Mihlali slammed Shane for getting famous because of posting “his mamba”. She further called it a disappointment, and said she would not want her future children looking up to him.
Remember this pic.twitter.com/myPzUDv6Bx
— Lhuti (@Lhutih) December 7, 2021
Naturally, tweeps now wonder what the difference is between her comment about Shane and theirs about Uncle Waffles. Is it different because she is a woman? Can Mihlali account for the double standard, or have her views evolved since then?
It is hard to tell which it is, and Mihlali will have to clarify this one herself. But we hope she has learned that social media does not forget, and screenshots can put a massive dent in one’s noble intentions if they’re not careful. Either way, we stan a queen standing up for other women.