Durban – Kwaito star Mandla “Mampintsha” Maphumolo told media outside the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday that his partner, singer Babes Wodumo, had previously attacked him and had a drinking problem.
“If she could stop drinking, she would be alright,” said Maphumolo, who made his statement in isiZulu.
Maphumolo had just stepped out of the courthouse and held an impromptu briefing with a large crowd of journalists. He had minutes earlier been released on R2 000 bail after handing himself in to police. He is facing a charge of assault.
He said Wodumo had bitten him.
Maphumulo arrived at court with his leg in an orthopaedic cast, saying Wodumo attacked him while he was "in this state".
A video clip of Maphumolo allegedly assaulting Wodumo went viral on Monday after being posted by Wodumo on Sunday evening on her Instagram account.
Maphumolo said Wodumo had “beat” him in front of his family and he had endured her abuse for far too long.
Referring to the video clip, Maphumolo said that when police arrived after the incident, Wadumo was so intoxicated she was unable to stand on her own. He claimed police told her she could not open a case while she was drunk.
Wodumo had woken him up by slapping him on the mouth with a hard flip-flop shoe, he said.
He accused Wadumo of entrapping him via the video by provoking him. He said he started out “just tapping” her, saying he did not slap her at first.
Wodumo was violent when she was drunk, not only to him but to other people, he said.
He loved Wodumo very much, but even his own family was tired of dealing with the abuse.
Although he had not paid lobola for her, and they were not married, he still expected her to “stay home more”, he said.
Responding to a question from a journalist, he said he didn’t care anymore if Wodumo was cheating and sleeping around.
He also denied being on the run following the incident, saying he was not in hiding. “I was at a hotel and everyone knew where I was,” he said.