As I’m sure you all know, violence against LGBTQ people in South Africa is prominent and a real international issue for our community.  Women are abused and “corrective rapes” are reported over and over in the news.  It’s for this reason that I was delighted, and a little surprised, to see that a popular soap, “Rhythm City” will have a lesbian character.

Mbali Ntuli will play, Wandi, an openly gay woman who is the host of a morning TV show. Ntuli is a seasoned actress and has appeared in many shows including a mini series adaptation of Shakespeare’s King Lear.  When asked about her role on Rhythm City she is quoted as saying:

I like the fact that [Wandi] is this independent woman who knows exactly what she wants. And it is a move away from the vulnerable characters I portrayed in my earlier roles. Wandi is smart and sophisticated. She has her own talk show. In terms of her sexual orientation, I was told she goes both ways, which can be interesting.

So, what does this mean?  Will this really make a difference?  Ms Ntuli goes on to say

I want it on record that I am very straight and, yes, I love men.

This doesn’t exactly lead us to think that she’s wrapping herself in a rainbow flag but then, to be fair, it must be tough and she did take the part.

In 2006 South Africa legalised same-sex marriage (link) and now in 2009 there is a prominent lesbian character on one of their popular soaps – so steps are being taken in the right direction but that’s easy to say sitting here, I still wouldn’t want to be living there – would you?  After all, they may have legalised same-sex marriage but the national prosecuting authority can still come out with statements like this

“While hate crimes — especially of a sexual nature — are rife, it is not something that the South African government has prioritized as a specific project.”

All in all I think we have to see the introduction of this character into a show that gets 2 million viewers as a good thing that will highten the visibility of LGBTQ people, however, South Africa, like so many counties, has a long way to go.