Publications
Partners
Singer Busisiwe “Cici” Thwala is finding healing through her songs.
In her latest song, Uhlal’ukwenza, Cici pours her heart out about a man who pulled her hair and pushed her to the ground until she could not breathe and “had no air”.
“All the things you said man, it just ain’t fair. Looking to you and you just don’t care, so why did you lie, lie, lie to the media, turn my love love love into mediocre,” she sings.
Two years ago Cici opened an assault case against her ex-boyfriend Arthur Mafokate, who in turn opened a countercharge against her. But last year she was acquitted on assault charges laid by Mafokate. The 999 Music boss is expected to appear in court at the end of next month.
In an interview with City Press this week, Thwala opted not to mention the perpetrator’s name in the song for legal reasons.
However, she said her story is the story of so many women. “I’m addressing all perpetrators, mine included.”
Mafokate ignored City Press’ calls, texts and WhatsApp messages when approached for comment yesterday.
Cici’s new song is in her self-titled album Busisiwe. The music video of Uhlal’ukwenza was released last week.
“The old me must die, for the new me to be born,” she said this week, adding that the hardest thing to do was forgiving someone who wasn’t sorry. But, she said, she had since learnt to forgive “for my own process of healing”.
Asked whether she felt the justice system had failed her by dragging out the case for so long, she said she would still wait patiently.
“I feel the law is taking its course. The only time I would feel the law is letting women down is if perpetrators get away with crime.”
Thwala feels her “justice will be the justice for many other women who have been let down by the justice system”.
“Marches, conferences and meetings can be held, but if the law is not on their side, then everything you are doing is in vain.”
Speaking about her latest project, Cici said Busisiwe was a personal journey of what she had been through.
She said the album resonated with many women and men.
“After I released my album, I received inbox messages from different men saying, after they had listened to my album, they wanted to change and do better on how they treat women.
“It is always rewarding when you put your art out there and it has a huge effect on someone’s life,” she said.
Her goal was to use her music to address social issues, she said.
“People do address these issues, but it always just ends there. Here my mission is to be the voice of the voiceless.”
Thwala said her own personal experiences made her realise there were a lot of abused women who were going through what she went through, yet they were scared to come out.
“I definitely hold my head up high because there aren’t a lot of women who have the courage to stand up and talk about what happened to them and [would not] back down no matter how difficult the court process is and how long it takes. I won’t give up.”
