Cameroon’s Bikutsi queen Lady Ponce boycotted this year’s Women’s Day fabric out compassion and solidarity for Diane Zogo, the widow of assassinated journalist Martinez Zogo.
In a post published on her social media about 8pm on March 8, Adele Ruffine Ngono, popularly called Lady Ponce, said she had received two already sewn Women’s Day outfits but was not going to wear or post them.
She advanced two reasons for the decision, stating it was “out of respect not only for the women who could not afford the March 08 outfit, but also for Martinez Zogo’s wife who was not given the chance to celebrate March 8.”
Lady Ponce has been among those strongly advocating for Martinez Zogo’s killers to be brought to justice.
As a signed of solidarity, the singer had replaced the profile picture on her million-follower Facebook page with that of Martinez Zogo, just after the journalist’s body was found.
Women’s Day fabric ‘extremely costly’
Apart from solidarity with Diane Zogo, Lady Ponce said she couldn’t wear the Women’s Day outfit because it is too expensive for the rural woman to afford.
It is sold at FCFA 10,000, a price she thinks is too exorbitant for poor.
“This cloth should have cost a maximum of 3,500f, out of respect for those who don’t have means. Enough is enough. You have taken enough advantage of the poor. If the loincloth of March 08 next year is not 3,500f, don’t buy it and I will start the boycott on my page four months in advance,” she said.
Lady Ponce is, however, not the first Cameroonian woman to boycott the Women’s Day fabric.
She is adding her voice to that of many others who have been boycotting the fabric over the years.
Among them is Rosange Jimegni, a political activist who has boycotted the Women’s Day fabric for the fourth year now.
Her reasons are however far from those of Lady Ponce.
Rosange thinks Women’s Day should be abolished in Cameroon because women have turned the day for partying, instead of using it to make their voices heard on national issues.
Mimi Mefo Info
