Lorcia Cooper catches heat on TikTok for video clip about being told to learn SA languages
actress Lorcia Cooper has come under fire on TikTok after an old video clip of an interview with DJ Sbu on Massive Metro on being coloured in South Africa, resurfaced.
In the 4-year-old interview, Cooper was asked about the challenges of being a successful actress in the local television arena, to which she answered:
“Being coloured in South Africa isn’t the easiest thing … I mean you can watch TV, you can pause the PVR and there’s not one coloured performer on that show.”
She goes on to explain it happens in multiple shows even though South Africa is a diverse country.
In the shortened clip shared by the @coloured24sev7n, Cooper said perhaps she should consider learning another African language: “Someone once said to me, ‘why don’t learn to speak (isi)Zulu or why don’t learn to speak (Se)Tswana?’
“And I guess that would be like the oppressor asking you to speak English, isn’t it?
“Because now I have to change an element of myself or add an element of myself so I can book work.
“So I’m gonna be a coloured woman speaking Zulu so when you look away from the screen I really could be black isn’t it … I would say the most different thing to be right now is coloured in this country.’”
TikTok users weren’t too happy about the comments she made with the video getting over 140000 views, and more than a thousand comments. Here are some of the comments: “Lol that would be like the oppressor?? That's a lie and an excuse learning other languages doesn't take anything away from you,” said @ndumi.kh.
“No, it’s like learning to speak Spainish in Spain.
“The oppressors went to other peoples countries & forced them to speak their language,” Not the same. commented @amahlentshinga.
“An African learning other African languages is oppressive,” said @setsoh.
“What kind of excuse is that? she's speaking fluent English the language of the oppressor yet has a problem speaking zulu?” commented @southernbelle1976
“A colored person finding comfort in communicating in the oppressors language and yet equates her mother lands languages as that of the oppressor ...... ” said @mwa365.