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Rofhiwa Tshigomana. Photo supplied. 

I'm not ashamed of my body

 

“Being overweight doesn't mean you are ugly, and it should not define who you are.”

These are the words of a local plus-size model, Rofhiwa Tshigomana (31), who is on a mission to motivate plus-size people to embrace their bodies and not to be ashamed of them.

A nurse by profession, Tshigomana from Ha-Mavhunga said that she had a difficult childhood because of her body. "Growing up was not easy, because other children used to mock me, saying I was bigger than my age. I lost confidence and ended up feeling ugly. Old men used to approach me, thinking I was a big girl," Tshigomana said.

Tshigomana said that young people should be taught self-love and stop body shaming. "Over the years, I've learnt that you should always love your body. You are beautiful just the way you are. God created you to be the person you are, and He made you perfectly. Don't ever be ashamed of your body. Don't allow anyone to say you can't do this because you are chubby, but show them you can do it," Tshigomana said.

She further said that body shaming would always be present unless one stuck up for oneself in a positive and healthy way. "It is important to practice self-love and try to not let negative comments bother you. We can’t all be skinny. Other people’s opinion about you shouldn’t matter or define who you are," she said.

She is one of the finalists in this year's Miss Gauteng Plus Size pageant. "This is my first pageant to participate in. Although modelling is challenging, I'm embracing it every day. I want to inspire the youth who are plus-sized," she said.

Her dream is to win Miss South Africa Plus Size.

 

News - Date: 23 September 2019

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Mbulaheni Ridovhona

The 22-year-old Mbulaheni (Gary) Ridovhona has been passionate about journalism to the extent that he would buy himself a copy of weekly Univen students' newsletter, Our Voice. After reading, he would write stories about his rural village, Mamvuka, and submit them to the very newsletter for publication. His deep-rooted love for words and writing saw him register for a Bachelor of Arts in Media Studies at the University of Venda, and joined the Limpopo Mirror team in February 2016 as a journalism intern.

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