Rapper Mthembeni “Emtee” Ndevu and singer Nandi Ndathane have joined the ongoing call for an end to gender-based violence (GBV) and femicide, using their latest photoshoot to make a statement that goes beyond fashion.
The couple stepped out in striking purple looks for the shoot, styled by designer Khosi Nkosi, turning the colour traditionally associated with the fight against GBV into a visual declaration of solidarity.
For Emtee and Ndathane, the shoot comes during Heritage Month, a period in which South Africans reflect on the people, struggles and values that have shaped the country.
Their message was direct – women and children should be able to live without fear of violence.
“We wear purple not just as a colour, but as a statement.
“Standing together against Gender-Based Violence and for a world where every woman and child can live safely, freely and without fear.
“This Heritage Month, we honour the women whose strength paved the way for us, those who continue to fight, and those whose voices were silenced too soon.
“No woman should have to live in fear. No child should grow up believing violence is normal.
“End GBV. Protect women. Protect children. Stand together.”
A personal backdrop to the message
The couple’s decision to publicly support the fight against GBV comes against the backdrop of Emtee’s own highly publicised relationship history.
The rapper has, over several years, been involved in public allegations of abuse involving his estranged wife and mother of his three children, Nicole Kendall Chinsamy.
In November 2020, Emtee publicly alleged that Chinsamy had physically and emotionally abused him during their relationship. Chinsamy rejected the allegations at the time, describing them as false and an attack on her character. Emtee later apologised to her publicly.
The relationship later became the subject of further allegations from both sides.
In 2023, Chinsamy accused Emtee of assaulting her while she was pregnant, allegations that emerged during a widely circulated Instagram Live. She subsequently opened a domestic violence-related common assault case against him, although the charges were later withdrawn.
Emtee has continued to maintain that he was also subjected to abuse. In June 2026, he again alleged that Chinsamy had physically assaulted him on multiple occasions, saying he had scars from the relationship.
The situation has also entered the legal system. Emtee has faced proceedings relating to an alleged breach of a protection order obtained by Chinsamy in 2023. The matter remains before the courts, and allegations made by either party should not be treated as established facts unless proven.
A new chapter with Nandi
Ndathane, whose full name is Nandi Ndathane, is a singer from Diepkloof, Soweto, who was previously a Top 12 contestant on Idols South Africa Season 18.
She and Emtee became publicly linked in 2026 after meeting through music. In an interview with Sowetan, Ndathane described their relationship as one in which they had found peace with each other.
Their relationship has unfolded while Emtee’s separation from Chinsamy has remained a matter of public and legal interest.
That history makes their latest GBV message particularly layered. Rather than presenting the purple styling simply as a fashion moment, the couple have used the shoot to align themselves publicly with a broader social call for women and children to be protected from violence.
Purple with a purpose
Purple has become strongly associated with campaigns against GBV and femicide in South Africa, making the colour choice central to the visual message.
The styling was handled by Khosi Nkosi, with hair by TT Hair Couture and jewellery by Cajees SA.
For Emtee and Ndathane, the photographs therefore carry a message that extends beyond the images themselves – a call for people to recognise violence, reject its normalisation and stand up for those affected.
