Johannesburg – Idols SA and musician Unathi Nkayi has defended herself and her decision to decline a request from a fan – who wasn’t wearing a mask in a public place – to take a picture after the fan took to social media to pain Unathi as rude.
Unathi posted a comment she received from the fan, who calls herself @zuvahabane, whot old her that she dismissed her fans coldly. This after Unathi and Zuva met at The Maslow Hotel Sandton, where they had a rather unpleasant interaction.
“Things have changed and they have changed forever and we will all react differently because of our personal journeys and responsibilities,” said Unathi.
The musician, who has lost friends and family to Covid-19, took to Instagram to share her truth about why she declined the offer, and apologised for coming across as “dismissive”.
“I am noticing an increased tension building with people I have never met who want to engage with me and get offended if I decline when they are not wearing masks in public places. This is the new norm and it is going to be like this for a while.
“Daily, because I come from the Eastern Cape, which is terribly affected, we are receiving news of people dying. As I speak I must return there tomorrow to bury my gran. My friends are losing their parents, siblings and colleagues, and this is hitting all of us hard,” Unathi said.
Unathi then gave a disclaimer to all her fans, saying it was better for them to rather call her names because she was not willing to compromise herself for the sake of their selfies.
“I guess this is my disclaimer. Call me anything you want under the sun. If you’re not wearing a mask, don’t expect anything from me,” she concluded.
Unathi got full backing from her fans and even had some celebrity friends, including Lorna Maseko, Ayanda Borotho and Minnie Dlamini-Jones.
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