Media personality Bonang Matheba has brought out the big guns and opted to sue a podcaster.
Bonang is suing Rea Gopane for R500 000 after a video of him went viral, following the death of her ex-boyfriend rapper AKA’s fiancée Anele “Nellie” Tembe last month.
In the video, Rea and his co-host discuss the circumstances around Anele’s death and how, at her funeral, her father, Durban businessman Moses Tembe, had alluded to his daughter possibly having a problem with substance abuse.
“We know AKA, let’s not hide from the truth. Scoop (television presenter Scoop Makhathini) told us that AKA is on cocaine and Bonang is the one that got him onto cocaine. Scoop told us that, so we know that AKA is into hard drugs,” Rea said.
Rea’s co-host warns him not to speak about things he has no evidence of, but the podcaster continued.
After the video went online, Bonang took to social media to ask if anyone had Rea’s email address. She then served legal papers on him, related to defamation proceedings.
.....does anyone have Rea Gopane's email address???
— Bonang Matheba 👑 (@bonang_m) May 16, 2021
Sent on behalf of her lawyers, the letter read: "On Sunday 9 May 2021 you falsely and unlawfully accused Bonang Matheba in a widely published video clip of, inter alia, having introduced AKA (Kiernan Jarryd Forbes) to cocaine.
“In the context of what was being discussed in the video clip, this defamatory allegation was exacerbated by the shocking insinuation that the death of AKA's girlfriend Anele (Nellie) Tembe was due to AKA's alleged use of cocaine.
"The allegations were defamatory, hurtful and were deliberately intended to humiliate my client and undermine her reputation.
“The allegations are also, to your knowledge, false.
“Your false utterances are compounded by the fact that at the time of making them on a public platform, you knew full well that these utterances would be widely viewed given my client's high public profile.”
According to Bonang’s lawyers, Rea was contacted and asked to apologise and publish a retraction. While Rea agreed to do so, he did not issue an apology.
Furthermore, in the letter, Rea is to write an apology and publish one on his various video platforms including YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
He is also required to put in writing that he will refrain from making any further false, defamatory or hurtful statements about or concerning Bonang.
Bonang is also asking for financial compensation to the tune of R500 000.
"To this end, I am instructed to demand from you, payment of the sum of R500 000 within 10 days.
“Should this sum not be paid within the time prescribed, I have instructions to issue summons without further notice to you."
See below:
@reagopane pic.twitter.com/Uy1mws0f6g
— Bonang Matheba 👑 (@bonang_m) May 16, 2021
Following the letter from Bonang, Rea tweeted that the star had his number and knew how to contact him.
Hebann. I just cannot believe this woman right now
— Rea Gopane 🇿🇦 (@reagopane) May 16, 2021
You have my number. I love you and appreciate you. You inspire me. Take care @bonang_m
— Rea Gopane 🇿🇦 (@reagopane) May 16, 2021