Women can learn an important lesson from Khanyi Mbau

There is nothing more that I would rather pretend does not exist more than relationships of those in the public space.

When I see the posts on social media, almost all the time I hastily move on without a care in the world.

After all, we all know the trials and tribulations of relationships. No-one is immune. But what would make it worse would be the court of public opinion weighing heavily on an already emotionally taxing matter – and a matter that is ever so personal.

This was the case when social media erupted with the most recent news in Khanyi Mbau’s relationship woes.

This time, there was something to learn from it all. Love her or hate her, Mbau taught all women no matter the economic bracket, social standing or age that it is important to retain a sense of independence no matter how well-cushioned one is in a relationship.

As we know, a woman and her billionaire boyfriend went away on holiday together, but she felt that for her own safety/peace of mind that she needed to hop on a plane without saying a word and fly back home.

Once she landed, her family enveloped her with love and sprung to her defence as a man spun his narrative that she was not grateful for all the money he had spent on her, that he had been faithful and that he had paid for her daughter’s tuition.

He was relentless in positioning himself as the doting partner to a woman so self-centered, she did not show appreciation.

But the inner circle knew a different version of events, although she personally said nothing.

Over the years, we’ve seen women are put through the wringer, unable to pack up and leave because finances are so unbalanced that affordability to just live would be far out of reach.

The lesson is that we ought to learn to never be present with no back-up plan.

If things end, women need to have the means to get back home because, in these instances, home is so much more than the four walls of your property. Home is safety.