Kelly Khumalo: "I'm not the first person to be hated"

A lot has been said about Kelly Khumalo since Senzo Meyiwa's death.

The soccer player was shot and killed at the singer's home in Vosloorus, east of Johannesburg, last month. Since then, Kelly has been called every bad name you can think of. The mother of two attended the Feather Awards on Wednesday evening. This was her first appearance since  the tragedy.

She told Sowetan: "I'm strong. It's not my first time out. Thami (Kotlolo), the founder of the awards, is my best friend and we planned this long before everything happened. So I can't say, 'friend I'm ditching you' when he needs me the most."

She told the paper that she is in the process of healing. "I will somehow get there, I guess." She added that she is at a place where she is not ready to be out there. "I wouldn't wear celebratory colours so black and white for me is subtle an conservative. And it doesn't say 'hey, over here', I'm not in the mood for 'over here'."

She also spoke about how controversy seems to always follow her. She told Sowetan: "I've tried for so many years to pull my name way from it. But it just lingers and looks like it will always be." Although she's been criticised a lot on social media, Kelly doesn't seem too bothered.

"I'm not the first person to be hated, and I'm certainly not the last. It doesn't really mean much to me when people hate me for no reason. They just hate based on assumptions," she told the paper.