Celebrities owe us nothing; they worked hard for everything they have and reserve the right to use it as they wish. Even so, some ZAlebs have chosen to make the world a better place, either through activism or charity.
Here is a list of some of our favourite ZAlebs and the causes for which they champion everyday.
Pearl Thusi
Queen Sono star Pearl Thusi is one of the most formidable online forces. She found her voice and she uses it at every turn. You would be hard pressed to find a struggle Pearl won’t chime in on.
She defends young women like Uncle Waffles when they are bullied online. She will immediately clap back at politicians when their policies hurt the people, and she is passionate about wildlife conservation.
However, her true passion falls under the umbrella of human rights activism, as she often rallies Mzansi to fight for those whose rights are being violated. This includes fighting for Zimbabweans, as well as raising her voice against gender based violence. Really, she is an all-rounded activist, unstoppable in her right.
Media personality LKG's passion project is ending period poverty, which she advocates for every chance she gets. She started her own line of sanitary towels called Flutter by LKG, with the aim of making period products affordable for all, regardless of financial status.
She also often uses her social media platforms to raise awareness for the issue, and campaigns that no young ladies should have their daily lives adversely interrupted for some days every month, all because of a natural biological process over which they have no control.
Rapper and TV personality Boity Thulo recently launched the Boity Thulo Foundation, whose aim is to provide shelter and support for victims of gender-based violence in Potchefstroom, which is Boity’s home town.
The foundation is not new, but with the global pandemic, it focused its efforts on helping women who were struggling because of Covid-19. However, as the pandemic situation seemed to stabilise, the foundation announced that it would be shifting its efforts to focus on a longer term cause, and chose the North West region because it records high rates of gender-based violence and sexual abuse.
Beauty vlogger Mihlali, like LKG, found her passion to end period poverty. To this end, she has endeavoured to make her page a safe space for conversations on all things menstruation.
She often engages her audience as she talks about her personal preferences, as well as the current situation on period products and what can be done to improve them.
DJ Lamiez has often been hailed as one of Mzansi’s most philanthropic celebrities, and it’s not hard to see why. She started the Lamiez Holworthy Foundation, which works closely with her rapper husband’s initiative, the Khuli Chana Foundation.
The DJ’s main goal for her foundation was to help the homeless, and she built an orphanage in Tshwane to this end. This is not to mean she turns a blind eye to other issues, as the couple donated foodstuff and household goods to families which were adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Lamiez Holworthy Foundation and The Khuli Chana Foundation doing our bit for families affected by Covid 19 and who are unable to provide for their families during this lockdown period. pic.twitter.com/2a175L8H4U
Controversial poet Ntsiki Mazwai does everything differently, including her activism. Rather than the regular causes, Ntsiki’s aim is to empower black women to wear their natural hair loudly and proudly, which has established her as something of a hair icon in Mzansi.
Her views have often landed her in trouble, like when she complained about DJ Zinhle’s new hair business, which self hair pieces. She was disgusted by the message she thought it was sending: that natural African hair deserves to be covered up rather than worn as it is.
Actor and choreographer Somizi Mhlongo is one of the most passionate pro-LGBTQ+ advocates. He is open and vocal about it, and even landed in trouble when he was barred from entering Zimbabwe because of his lifestyle and views.
He is militant to have all LGBTQ+ people accepted and living their best lives, and that usually means tackling intersectional issues such as racism and classism. He even went on a rant about how pride parades are a facade of inclusivity, but cater mostly to one demographic’s comfort, and everyone else is left to fend for themselves.
Rapper Cass recently rebranded as a civil rights leader. He is vocal about ending racism, particularly in government systems that have been stifling the success of the black South African.
He also calls out those who only concentrate their charity and activism efforts online, but do not translate it to the real world. He said no amount of online noise will change anything. To put his money where his mouth is, he often conducts random acts of kindness where he goes out to donate items to the less fortunate, and donated R150,000 to a fan to get medical attention she couldn't afford.
As the adage goes, blessed is the hand that gives, which may have something to do with why these ZAlebs keep getting more successful. We love to see their giving hearts, and can only hope that more people will be inspired to be more like them.
