Lebo Mashile has been slammed by a number of X users for her choice of words in her tribute to 72-year-old actress Connie Chiume who died on Tuesday after a short illness.
The poet took to her X timeline on Wednesday seemingly linking the actress’ death to the Chidimma Adetshina’s debate about her eligibility to represent South Africa because though she was born in South Africa her father is Nigerian.
“Connie Chiume, a South African icon, was born in Welkom, South Africa to a Malawian father and a South African mother. Who would dare question her identity, her contribution or her right to represent us with her beautiful body of work? #EndXenophobia #EndAfrophobia,” she wrote.
Connie Chiume, a South African icon, was born in Welkom, South Africa to a Malawian father and a South African mother. Who would dare question her identity, her contribution, or her right to represent us with her beautiful body of work? #EndXenophobia #EndAfrophobia
— Lebogang Mashile (@lebomashile) August 7, 2024
Reacting to the post, some X users found it distasteful and tone deaf.
Read the X posts below:
Sometimes she should have just kept quiet
— FootballStage (@FootballStage_1) August 7, 2024
A woman who was in her seventies, just imagine. Even the timing does not permit her to post such things.
— XEKO (@xeko_mashele) August 7, 2024
Maybe you should have saved this post on your drive. We are still grieving the loss of a patriotic South African legend who spoke many of the SA languages and was actually born in SA and one of her parents was South African. She also was very patriotic