SIMPLY

PHENOMENAL

This Women’s Day we celebrate and

take inspiration from these fierce

and fearless females

BY SIYABONGA DZIMBILI

 I

T’S often said that women are the
backbone of a family and the bedrock
of a nation – and these fabulous four
are no different.
Ayanda Borotho, Cici, Liteboho
Molise and Nomfusi are a bevy of
beauties who are all blazing trails,
some rising from the ashes, and
making their mark on Mzansi in many

ways.
In honour of Women’s Day, we take a
closerlookattheseinspirationalladies.

TheIsibayaactressisn’tshytospeakher

mind,especiallywhenitcomestowomen’s

issues.Shefindsstrengthinknowingwho

sheis.

“Forme,identityspeakstopowerand

howonedefinestheirworth.Sounderstand-

ingidentityformyselfasa womanfirstand

understandingmypurposeasAyandaismy

strength.”

Ayanda(38)touchesonthetopicinher

newbook,UnbecomingtoBecome:My

JourneyBacktoSelf.Initsheshareshow

shelosthervoicegrowingupina patriarchal

society.

“There’sa narrativethatsayswomen

speaktoomuch,butthetruthisalthough

wespeaka lot,weseldomsaywhatwewant

tosay.“Weseethisinrelationshipswhere

womencan’tvoicetheirfeelingsbecause

ofthesetnarrativeofwhata womanis

supposedtobe:submissive,makesurethe

husbandishappyandthehouseisalways

warm,”shesays.“Findingmyidentityhas

unshackledmyvoicesoI canspeakmytruth.”

Ayandaisraisingherfourchildren– two

boysandtwoteengirls– tobecomfortable

intheirskins.

“I teachmydaughtersthat[whentheyget

married]theyarechoosinga lifepartner,

a fathertotheirchildren,somakesureyou

knowwhat’soutthereandwhatyoulike

beforeyoucommityourwholelifetothe

firstfirstpersonpersonwhowhoproposesproposesmarriagemarriagetotoyouyou”.

Ayanda (middle) plays a meek wife in a

polygamous marriage in Isibaya. In real life,

she’s teaching her daughters to speak up.

AYANDA BOROTHO