Durban - The Lion King producer Lebo Morake, popularly known as Lebo M, and his fiancée, Zoe Mthiyane, were roasted for their lavish holidays and unreasonable luxurious demands in a maintenance court ruling last week.
This arose during their court battle against radio and TV sports presenter Robert “Madluphuthu” Marawa.
Mthiyane, who is the mother of Marawa’s 4-year-old son, was suing him for R23 000 of child maintenance a month, but the court ordered him to pay only R6 000 instead. Marawa has been paying R2 500 all along.
The court rejected and labelled Mthiyane’s claims for domestic assistance, garden services and entertainment as “far-fetched”.
Focusing on Mthiyane’s demands, magistrate MJ Setlhabi, in his judgment, said: “The needs of the child as outlined by the applicant are not free from influence by Lebo Morake’s expensive lifestyle.
“Most, if not all, of the child’s needs are tainted by this. They have their basis or roots from the said lifestyle.”
In her affidavit, Mthiyane claimed R5 000 a month for the child’s lodging.
“The house that we are staying in is leased at R35 000 a month. I divided the amount according to the occupants in the house.
“So there are two adults and three minors. So I divided R35 000 by seven and the answer I got was R5 000,” said Mthiyane. She also demanded R2 000 for clothing per season and R2 500 for transport a month for Marawa’s son. She further asked Marawa to pay R1 316.67 a month for holidays because they go on holiday four times a year, a claim which was supported by her fiancé when he took to the stand.
“We have a beach apartment at uMhlanga.
“We go to the Palace Hotel (Sun City).
“I would feel uncomfortable having to discriminate when I am in the Palace Hotel… to separate the two 4-year-olds and put the one in a smaller hotel,” Lebo M said in his statement to the court.
Lebo M explained that, among his six children, he also has a 4-year-old and did not want to treat Marawa’s son differently from his own.
“Any suggestion that, as a father, I would feel uncomfortable if I have to take one child to a nice school and the other to a government school when I know that I and Marawa can actually afford to give these two children a comfortable environment to be educated at (is wrong),” Lebo M said.
But the magistrate continued to indicate that the court’s decision would in no way be influenced by the expensive lifestyle of Lebo M.
“Establishing a relationship with the child’s mother and subsequently allow her to move in with him while fully aware of the existence of the child was Morake’s own choice, which has nothing to do with the father.
“His expensive lifestyle and his knowledge of Marawa’s personal and employment background are not allowed by the court to determine the cost of the child’s needs.
“The evidence as a whole is clear that the unemployment of the applicant is also as a result of the relationship which led to her getting pregnant, something which also had nothing to do with Marawa.”
Marawa said in the court papers that he has paid R2 500 maintenance since the birth of the child.
He also declared that he pays R4 000 for medical aid, of which R1 800 is for his son. He told the court that he preferred buying clothes for his son and paying for school fees directly to the school.
Mthiyane said in court papers that the child was attending a private school, the Monaghan Montessori, which cost R5 000 a month.
But the court only offered her R1 000 a month instead, because “Marawa did not consent to the child being registered at the school”.
The court said: “The evidence of the applicant (Mthiyane) and that of her fiancé is extremely prejudicial to the respondent (Marawa) and, if not handled with caution, may cause the respondent to suffer undue prejudice.”
The R6 000 has been broken down as follows: Lodging R1 000, groceries R1 000, clothing R500, school fees R1 000, extra murals R500, transport R1 000, holidays R500 and aftercare R500. Marawa and Lebo M have known each other for years - even before Marawa started dating Mthiyane.
Lebo M and Mthiyane are about to walk down the aisle after they announced their engagement on a yacht in December.
It will be Lebo M’s sixth marriage.
Sunday Tribune