My name is Zahara, hello world.
I'm a singer, song-writer,
a self-taught guitarist.
Zahara has sold almost half a
million records in South Africa.
She has won many awards for her
music.
And she is also a survivor of
gender-based violence.
In South Africa right now
we've got a pandemic, which is coronavirus.
And we've got a pandemic,
which is gender-based violence.
For me, don't get me
crying right about now
because it happened to me too.
This guy, he drove with me.
And then he started, he sprayed me
with, I don't know what you call it
pepper spray?
Whatever you call it, the spray.
I couldn't see. I couldn't even breathe. And I opened the door because I didn't
care, I just wanted to jump out of the car.
His mistake was to go to the back of the car.
Think he went to the boot.
So when he went to the boot, I ran.
Got out of the car, I ran to the bushes,
and I heard two gun shots up.
And at that time even myself I was
tired, I think it was because of the spray
I couldn't breathe and everything.
And then he left. So gender-based
violence is very, it's sad.
No-one was charged with the
attack...
which took place when Zahara was
in her twenties.
More than 2,700 women
were killed...
in South Africa in 2019.
They feel like they are entitled to
women, like women are theirs.
Doesn't really matter what you do, what you want
with your life and they don't care about our dreams.
Men in South Africa, all they care
about is them, what they want.
Zahara is helping young women in
South Africa to "grow up strong".
I started a foundation called 'Zahara Army'.
We help young girls from 13 to 25.
I give them guitars but I'm not giving them
guitars so that they can be other Zaharas.
But a guitar for me is a symbol of hope.
So I wanted them to have that symbol
of hope because I know I'm a girl too.
I am a young woman. I was a little girl.
I know what we go through
when it comes to the things of life, what
I can say to them is 'do not keep quiet'
because at the end of the day
it does not help you.
It kills you inside.
My hope for the future, for young
women in South Africa
I hope you've seen everything I know you have.
And I believe you are strong. You've shown
even with this pandemic that you are all strong.
But I wish you can actually sit down,
that's the future that I hope
actually to look at yourself and
what you were born for
and walk towards what you were born for.