Everson Luhanga
There was a time when Zodwa Wabantu was so shy that she never even wanted to be seen in public.
Poverty played a major part as she was shy and lacked confidence because of how she looked and dressed.
But that’s all history now.
“One day I realised I had something that could make men happy, and that something was my punani and that’s when my life changed.”
Zodwa has always wowed Mzansi with her great dance moves, her energy and her spunky attitude – and of course her virtually naked body!
In an interview with Scrolla.Africa on Wednesday, Zodwa said her life changed when she was about 16 years old.
“I was working as a waitress at a restaurant and rich customers started writing their names on the back of the bills, asking me to contact them,” she said.
“That made me think that I wasn’t as worthless as I thought.”
That’s when she worked out that her punani had a lot of value.
She said she grew up in Soweto with her late grandmother Maureen Ndaba.
“I helped my gogo sell alcohol, and also cooked sheep’s head and goat’s head. Life was not nice,” she said.
“I used to be in the backroom of the family’s tavern almost every day. I didn’t like doing it, but I had no choice. That affected my academic performance and I dropped out of school after failing matric.”
She said she never met her father and her mother died when she was 11 years old. “I don’t know my father. Maybe he is out there. Maybe I even slept with him. I just don’t know,” she said.
Zodwa said she used men to give her money.
“Even now, I say there are few men who would love a woman without thinking of using them just for their sexual benefits. Love is a reality, yes, but most men would want to sleep with you and then vanish from your life.”
She admitted that if she found a man at an entertainment venue, she wasn’t thinking about love, either.
“In those days I was thinking about how much he would give me the following morning. It was about survival,” she said.