Naledi Chirwa is a South African politician, actor, self-professed feminist and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Member of Parliament.
Background
Naledi Chirwa was born in Vosloorus and brought up in Mamelodi under the care of her grandmother and mother.
She obtained her BA Drama degree at the University of Pretoria. In 2017 Naledi was among the 200 Mail & Guardian Young South Africans.
Political Career
At the age of 15 Chirwa served as the Deputy President of the then Tshwane North College students representative council.
Naledi was a student activist and led the EFF Students Command. She also worked as the Media and Liaison Officer of the EFF.
She rose to prominence during the Fees Must Fall and Remember Khwezi movements that shook South Africa between 2015 and early 2017.
Criticism For Bushiri Association
In December 2019, Chirwa stoked controversy after a video circulated on social media showing her thanking the religious leader Shepherd Bhushiri for her election into parliament.
Following an incident where some EFF members knelt before party president Julius Malema at the party’s Elective Congress in December, Malema criticised the behaviour of EFF leaders that kneel before him, religious and traditional leaders saying that they were abdicating their responsibility to lead. The comments were seen as directed at Naledi Chirwa.
It was clear that Julius was not impressed with delegates genuflecting before him. He sure put them in their place. pic.twitter.com/EXrDVN9Dbf
— Thabiso TT Tema (@ThabisoTema) December 15, 2019
Feminist Activism
Chirwa is a supporter of the This is my Vagina movement which is a fight against the sexual abuse of women in South Africa.
Personal Life
Naledi Chirwa has a son. She has said that her mother and grandmother have always been supportive of her activism and political career as “activism has always defined the nature of my family and thus my views.”
Related Links
- Naledi Chirwa on Twitter: @NalediChirwa
Image credit: riseblackgirl.wordpress.com