Gender-based violence (GBV) activists have deemed a video by veteran TV actor Patrick Shai promising to beat rapper Cassper Nyovest a red flag coming from a self-confessed repentant perpetrator.
Activists said for Shai to threaten to beat Nyovest and calling him “a son of a b***h” showed that he might have not dealt completely with certain issues as a former perpetrator of violence. They said whether Shai apologised or not, the questioned remained if people should still trust his advocacy against GBV.
The video started circulating on social media this week. In it, Shai is seen sitting inside a vehicle and seemingly inviting the rapper into a boxing match saying he wants to “bleksem” him.
He goes on to say that when he dies he wants his tombstone to be engraved with words “this is the man who beat up Cassper”. He ends the video by calling the rapper a “son of a b***h”. Shai has since issued an apology for insulting the rapper's mother.
On Wednesday, Sihle Sibisi and founder of Kwanele Foundation, said society needs to unlearn the fact that GBV was only when you physically hit someone.
“It starts by things you say. It is out of character for him to behave that way, though there is an apology issued. He may have stopped beating up his wife but the question has he stopped using verbal abusive language to her and other women?” Sibisi said.
“Remember gender- and femicide based violence does not starts when he hits you. It starts with small things that happen behind the scenes. He can say he was joking but GBV and femicide are number pandemic in the country. After the apology are we still going to look at him in the same light as before?”
Secretary general of Not In My Name, Themba Masango, said: “It was such an unfortunate situation. Since he apologised we need to accept the apology because he acknowledges his mistake.”
Speaking to Sowetan, Shai did not want to dwell on why he made the video in the first place. But he said he was aware that after the video people were having doubts about him being a repentant perpetrator. Shai said he was aware the video has damaged his reputation and impacted negatively on campaigns he normally run.
“The video has nothing to do with GBV according to my view. But there is nothing I can do to control how people view it. I know I soured it up by calling him a son of a b***h, and I take full responsibility for that. People have the right to feel the way they do. I have disappointed them,” Shai said.
“I take responsibility and it was not intended to mean that. There is no excuse and cannot change what is already out there but again, I don’t want to come across as if I am the victim.”
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