Cyber bullying victim, Vusi Shekevilla, speaks out
Cyber bullying has become a dangerous cancer in Botswana, with many driven to depression and even suicide. For 19-year-old Vusi Mooki, popularly known as Vusi Shekevilla on social media, the experience only made her stronger.
It all started when she shared a video of herself venting on social media expressing disappointment in her husband after he had ignored their ‘family rules’ and posted a photo of himself with another woman.
The video was shared to a point that some people made songs out of it. Mooki remains baffled on how people attacked her when she was only crying out in pain. “It was very painful when I saw the issue trending, with people criticizing me and some literally attacking me, when I thought the best way to heal from what I was experiencing was to talk to someone, hence I went live on facebook,” she tells The Midweek Sun.
“I believe in expressing myself, and I knew that the video could liberate those in pain too because most people often bottle up things without expressing themselves, which is not good for their health,” she says, emphasising that it is rare to find someone who opens up about issues without focusing much on what people would say. The confident Mooki however says that she has learnt that people interpret things differently. Some people bashed her, calling her an ugly duckling. She further tells this publication that even though it hurt to see people ganging up on her, she had to be strong and courageous for her own sanity. “I realised that the more I focused on the negative comments, the more I am going to pull myself down and end up attracting conditions like depression,” she says. She is currently working on a campaign to condemn body shaming, through the brand called, ‘Maswe a basadi.’ “This brand is not just an ordinary brand, but carries a strong message to comfort women who have been bullied because of their looks,” she says. She is looking for donations to buy and print T-shirts. Mooki also says that no relationship is perfect but divorce is the last thing on her mind, even though some people advised her to leave
her husband. She notes that life generally has potholes and people should be human enough to look out for one another. She is currently going through counseling that is helping her to accept herself the way she is, and embrace individuality. “I am thankful to Prophet Respect Mgwenya for the counseling sessions and all those people who offered freebies including a makeover, as this brought sanity to my life and uplifted me,” Mooki says.
Prophet Respect Ngwenya concurs that cyber bullying has become a cancer in Botswana. “People on social media have started looking down on each other to a point that they do not care about one’s emotions,” he says, adding that he was disappointed by the fact that it was mostly men who bullied Mooki, instead of providing the shield to protect her as a sister. He is, however, glad that Mooki is doing well in her counseling sessions, and learning new habits on what to consume and what not to consume on social media.
Ngwenya says those going through cyber bullying should deliberately choose to ignore some things for their own sanity. Mooki agrees that being strong is the only choice left when one is bullied, but people on social media should understand that not everyone is strong and they can end up being the reason for someone’s death.