Renowned South African actor and former “Rhythm City star” Setlhabi Taunyane - also known as Bra Kop - has revealed painful personal struggles involving his family's rejection of his wife due to her Zimbabwean roots.
In an emotional interview on the King David Studio podcast, Bra Kop, who has been married for over 17 years, revealed the xenophobic attitudes that have cast a shadow over his relationship and family life.
Bra Kop recounted how his family never truly accepted his wife because of her nationality, highlighting the deep-seated prejudices that still persist in many communities.
“My family never really accepted my wife,” he said.
“I just heard two days ago, that one of my cousins in Diepkloof was buried two weeks ago and no one phoned me."
The couple has been married for over 17 years, but Bra Kop admitted that the tension has been a constant throughout their relationship.
“It has not changed because I am married to ‘Lekwere-kwere’,” a word in South Africa used to describe foreigners, which is considered xenophobic and offensive.
The actor spoke with emotion about how the exclusion from family events has become the norm, saying “I have learned to live with that”.
The xenophobia, according to Bra Kop, extends beyond just his family. He said that once someone is abandoned by their family, the discrimination grows, even outside family circles.
“It starts with the family, but once you are abandoned by your family, this thing grows bigger, even outside the family."
Despite the hardships, Bra Kop's love story with his wife is one filled with destiny and affection. He shared the story of their first meeting, recalling how he saw her one day and felt an instant connection.
“One day I went to buy Magwinya and saw this woman running. My heart went ‘boom boom,’ and I ran after her, and I said ‘sorry sis, mangikumoshela isikhathi, ngifuna ukukhuluma nawe athi hhayi ngijahile, ngithi please thatha nayi iphone number yami, ngifuna ukukhuluma nawe please." (sorry ma'am, sorry for wasting your time, can I talk to you, she then said 'I am in a rush' and I said please take my number, I really want to talk to you).
He also added she was the one that phoned him a few days later.
Bra Kop’s reflections also touched on his broader beliefs in Pan-Africanism and Black Consciousness, which influenced his outlook on love.
Growing up, he envisioned marrying a woman from Zimbabwe or Ghana, driven by his deep sense of African identity. However, he faced rejection from potential partners in Ghana and Jamaica before meeting his future wife in South Africa.
IOL