I’m deeply honoured to share something incredibly personal with all of you — I’ve been nominated for the Christa Swart Fighting Spirit Award by Girls on Fire, a powerful organisation that has dedicated itself to the empowerment and protection of women in one of the most dangerous countries in the world to be a woman: South Africa.
This nomination came from Lynette Oxley, co-founder of Girls on Fire, who discovered my story on LinkedIn and reached out to me last year. She invited me to participate in their 16 Days of Activism campaign, and I gladly accepted.
I had the opportunity to share my story in a heartfelt hour-long interview that gave me the space to speak openly and honestly — not only about the violence I’ve survived, but also about the journey that led me to become an activist, a mother, a writer, a community organiser, and the founder of The Great People of South Africa.
That interview, like so many moments in my journey, reminded me of the power of speaking truth, of refusing to be silent, and of fighting back with purpose.
The Christa Swart Fighting Spirit Award is named after a woman whose legacy lives on through the fire she lit in others. It is awarded to women who show extraordinary courage, resilience, and leadership in the face of adversity. Girls on Fire created this award to honour not just survival, but transformation — the act of taking pain and turning it into power.
Every year, during their Top Shot event, they honour a woman who embodies the very essence of what it means to rise, to protect, and to lead. To even be considered for an award with Christa Swart’s name on it is humbling. It reminds me that even the most broken parts of our stories can become the most powerful.
What I also find inspiring about Girls on Fire is their dedication to real, tangible empowerment. Their work includes firearm training for women — a form of self-defense that many might shy away from, but which is so necessary in a country where gender-based violence continues to escalate. When Lynette and I spoke last year, I expressed my interest in taking up this training.
I believe now more than ever that protecting ourselves — lawfully and responsibly — is not something we should apologise for. At The Great People of South Africa, we already offer self-defense classes, and I see firearm training as a powerful extension of that work. It’s not about living in fear — it’s about living with power, with knowledge, and with options.
This nomination is not just for me. It’s for every woman and girl whose pain has gone unseen. For the survivor who is still trying to find her voice. For the woman walking to court alone because she has no support.
For the child growing up in a village like mine, where justice feels far away and silence often feels like the only option. It’s for my daughter, Olivia Lindiwe, who inspires me daily with her vibrant spirit.
It’s for the women I meet in workshops, in healing circles, and in courtrooms — women who carry the weight of their stories with dignity and strength. It’s for the ancestors who carried me through the days I didn’t think I would survive.
When I founded The Great People of South Africa in 2019, I did it as a woman who had survived rape but still had so many questions. I had no access to services, no referrals, no proper support. And when I began studying law, I discovered the concept of community-based paralegals — ordinary people trained in basic legal knowledge to help bridge the justice gap in their communities.
That’s when it all made sense to me. If someone in my community had been trained that way, maybe they would have known how to help me. Maybe they would have seen the signs. Maybe they would have believed me. That’s why our work focuses on legal empowerment, psychosocial support, traditional outreach, and digital activism — because justice must live where our people live.
This year, our work has been recognised in ways that have moved me to tears. In March, The Great People of South Africa won two national awards for our impact in gender-based violence response and advocacy. And now, this nomination for the Christa Swart Fighting Spirit Award reminds me yet again that the work matters. That the pain I carry has purpose. That the fire in me is not burning out — it’s only growing stronger.
To Lynette Oxley and Girls on Fire, thank you for seeing me. Thank you for creating spaces where women like me are not just heard, but honoured.
Thank you for keeping the memory and legacy of Christa Swart alive by continuing to lift up women who refuse to be broken.
To every survivor, I want you to know this: your story matters. Your voice matters. You are not alone. And even in your silence, you are powerful. One day, you will rise — and when you do, the world will hear you.
With fighting spirit and deep gratitude,
Zintle.
