A Zambian model based in South Africa who posed for pictures to advertise a beauty product says people should respect her career and not criticise her maliciously.
Alice Musukwa, 27 posed for pictures to promote Silky Skin Avo for her magazine client, but the pictures have drawn intense criticism against her on social media.
“I did that for a client; it pays my bills and I am happy. Zambians talk a lot and that is the problem. If you are not doing fine, they want to say something; if you are doing fine, they will still say something,” she said.
Alice, the mother of one, said culture was dynamic and that Zambians needed to realise that their dependence on what people thought had restricted their career developments.
“I am doing very well, better than I was doing in Zambia. I respect culture, but culture is dynamic. When I was in Zambia, I was very limited in my work, I could do very little. People did not approve of so many things, but now that I am in another country, I have been able to grow so much,” Musukwa boasted before hinting that she was now getting worldwide recognition.
She advised people not to criticise but take a leaf from her and do something about their lives.
Musukwa wondered why Zambians were judging her over the photos which did not expose her private parts.
“I will live my life to the fullest. I have made peace with my career. I do not know why people are talking because those photos are not pornographic. No one can see my ‘boobs’ or my ‘cookie’,” she said as she giggled.
Musukwa added that she knew some men were publicly criticising her but had probably kept the photos in their phones.
“They talk a lot, that is the problem. If you had posted a photo of Kim Kadarshian online, no one would have said anything negative. The comments would have been, ‘Oh my gosh she is gorgeous’; ‘she is amazing’. Most of the people who are even saying bad things about me have got my picture and put it in their phones,” she said.
Musukwa also told critics to stop calling her desperate because she had found a man who loves her.
“Some people said I am attention seeking but let me make it clear: I am very happy. I have been in a relationship for eight months with a great man. I am a mother. I am not looking for anything else. I do not want to disclose who he is because I have been through a lot with relationships, so I would rather protect him,” she said.
Musukwa noted that she loved her country and would always represent Zambia to the outside world.
She said the controversy would not stop her from taking up more controversial jobs and hoped she would continue to receive support from her family.
“My elder sister, who is more like a mother to me, has advised me in various ways. Well, she does tell me to do this or do that, but she knows it is my life, she can advise me but she cannot dictate. And well, yes, this morning (yesterday), she was shouting at me, telling me to tell everyone calling her to leave her alone,” said Musukwa.
“She does shout at me but I will do what I think is right. Right now, my career is keeping me comfortably and paying my bills.”