Jambo Africa Online’s Publisher, SAUL MOLOBI, speaks to the trailblazing Masingita Masunga as she launches two-in-one campaign about inclusion, social cohesion and anti-GBV…
In holistically tackling the scourges of gender-based violence and exclusion through developing social cohesion, aBOVEnormal will host a presidential dialogue breakfast conversation with the leaders of Government, Business and Labour on 3 December 2021. The theme of the dialogue is: “Transformation starts with changing the gear…”
Project championed Masingita Masunga, an aBOVEnormal brand architect and media personality who is renowned as an advocate for mainstreaming issues affecting people with disabilities, the initiative follows a series of weekly webinars brand positioned as “changing the gear” aimed at driving beahvioural change among the citizenry by inspiring them to achieve above normal goals. abOVEnormal is a holistic (body, mind and soul) fitness brand (it helps to achieve optimum fitness through a lifestyle of non-conformity, non-confinement, resilience and resistance to situations, circumstances and attitudes that are limiting). It is formulated in multiple products, programs and platforms.
The objectives of the campaign are:
- To promote national unity in diversity.
- To contribute to the healing of the nation
- To encourage collaboration and working together for the well being of the nation.
- To accelerate the process of transformation and making it an inclusive process.
- To inspire the spirit of social-cohesion.
The source of Masingita’s inspiration for the campaign has been the slow pace at which transformation has been taking place in the country. Although South Africa has had freedom and democracy for 27 years, the impact and pain of apartheid and oppression are still deeply embedded in the fabric of the nation. To add salt to a wound, South Africans have to endure the pain inflicted on their psyche by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic which has taken the world by storm causing havoc that has brought the world to its knees. The impact was more devastating in our country as this compounded unemployment and many families lost their livelihoods, thus forcing many into the welfare system which was heavily under-resourced as the national fiscus was faced with the dwindling resources as the lockdown intended to contain the spread of the infections forced many companies to shut down – thus contributing very little to the tax revenue.
The impact of the legacy of apartheid exclusion and other societal ills has even been more devastating on certain sectors of our communities. According to Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) – the official statistics gathering agency – about 7,5% of the South African population consist of people with disabilities. Although Persons with disabilities have the same constitutional freedom and rights as other SA citizens, the struggle for equity still continues even after 27 years of democracy.
Masingita said matter-of-factly: “People with disabilities of every age, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, and political inclination in society, should be represented with no stereotyping attitudes, and without their conditions clichéd, or poorly informed speaking on their behalf. There is still much work to be done in conquering stereotypes that persist, but unfortunately positive representations are largely an exception as the ‘pity parties’ and ‘freak-show’ formats remain. As such the fair and appropriate representation of those people with disabilities is difficult to achieve because of the barriers that still exist.”
Although South Africa celebrates the national Disability Rights Awareness Month annually from 3 November up until 3 December when it will be joining the world in celebrating the International Day of Persons with Disabilities as declared by the United Nations, much work still needs to be done in this country. “It is common knowledge that a fair and appropriate representation of those people with disabilities is difficult to achieve because of the barriers that still exist. Exclusion is a form of violence, therefore in an effort to bring healing to the nation. “
During this period in South Africa, there’s a focus on another scourge that ravages families – the scourge of gender-based violence (GBV). Masingita outlined the linkages: “We have forged a dialectical interdependence between all efforts to contain the scourge of gender-based violence and the strategic imperative to address issues of inclusion, development of social cohesion and diversity. So as we mount 16 Days of Activism Against Violence on Women and Children, we also have to tackle all forms of exclusions holistically. Our contention is that the key to stopping gender-based violence (GBV), without sounding too simplistic, starts with developing a culture of inclusion. That’s why we have infused this anti-GBV campaign, which is turning 21 this year, into the Disability Rights Awareness Month as both campaigns speak to issues of inclusion, social cohesion and diversity.”
Masingita emphasized the country has to adopt a multi-disciplinary and multi-stakeholder approach. “All efforts have to be centred on the three pillars of society that affect everyone’s life: Government, Business and Labour. That’s why we are calling on all the stakeholders to participate in this event.”
In addition to the breakfast dialogue, aBOVEnormal, has launched a multi-disciplinary campaign to create awareness for International Day for Persons with Disabilities, encouraging fitness through inclusion, social cohesion and diversity, for safety and wellness awareness over the festive season. The campaign was sub-themed “Healing the nation. Fighting for, protecting, defending, securing and saving everyone’s right, freedom and fitness to life, humanity, dignity and well-being.” The photoshoots took place at the Sandton Fire Station featuring the brand custodian, Masingita and other models donning imperial, swimwear, traditional fitness, gym and sports clothing.
Masinga explained the conceptualisation: “Aligning to the theme and the brand, the photo shoot was done by diverse individuals who were within the vulnerable groups. Even though these individuals are considered not to fit certain norms and standards that are set by society to exclude and undermine them, they still manage to lead an abOVEnormal life. We will use fitness clothes that are about, the army, firefighting and traditional to send a message about body shaming, bullying, vitality, fitness, discrimination, positive self-image, mental health, road safety, GBV, wellness, social cohesion, empathy, safety and security. Out of the shoot, we have a video and stills. We will then create content in different formats like videos, posters and bumper stickers which will all be utilised on different platforms. Each model says something about their experiences.”
For the International Day for Persons with Disabilities, the company has produced a video that showcased people with disabilities who were in the anti-apartheid struggle, those who acquired disabilities from their activism. “We pay tribute to these martyrs who paid sacrifices for our freedom through their sanity or loss of limb, arm or both,” says Masingita.
An ardent anti-exclusion crusader, Masingita declared emphatically: “Racism is violence so is sexism so is ableism , so is tribalism, so is homophobia, so is body shaming, so is bullying and so is othering. Any of this prejudice and exclusion outlined earlier is oppressive. Condemning one form of violence while committing the other is hypocrisy and deception. We have to confront these felonies by proclaiming unashamedly: ‘An injury to one is an injury to all’!”
She called on all three stakeholders to strive to transform the country by fighting for the preservation of human rights. “We’re calling on everyone to stand for protecting, defending and saving everyone’s rights, freedoms and fitness to life, humanity, dignity and well-being. Join our clarion call: It’s abOVE O’clock, time to #Changethegear #Jikizinto and stop gender-based violence through inclusion, social cohesion and diversity. Any difference is not basis for conflict. Everyone should know being normal is average, rise abOVEnormal and play your part in healing our nation during these two noble campaigns – namely, the ‘Disability Rights Awareness Month’ and ‘16 Days of Activism Against Violence on Women and Children.”
