Kwaito star Arthur Mafokate’s assault case continued on Wednesday, with his musician ex-girlfriend Busisiwe “Cici” Twala testifying that she was pregnant at some point during their relationship.
Mafokate’s court appearance happened a day after the troubled musician was forced to withdraw from the #100MenMarch held in Pretoria on Tuesday, and axed from his position as a non-executive board member of the SA Music Rights Organisation (Samro).
Yesterday at the Midrand Branch Court, Twala, who accuses Mafokate of assaulting her, was cross-examined by his attorney, Leana Fick, about the incident in June last year when the multi-hitmaker allegedly dragged Twala alongside his car.
He has pleaded not guilty to a charge of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm.
Twala, wearing a black leather pencil skirt, a gold top, brown suede jacket and shinyheeled boots, told the court that in 2016 she had fallen pregnant with Mafokate’s child.
Fick told the complainant that her client said she terminated the pregnancy without telling him until after the procedure.
Twala disagreed with this, saying she had told him about the procedure, but he did not come to the appointment because he had an important meeting to attend that day.
She said he, however, took care of her during her recovery.
In regard to the assault, Twala told the court it happened three days after she ended her relationship with the musician. She claimed she had gone to his home to return the keys for the car he had given her, and the house keys to his home. Through tears, she said she just wanted to be done with the relationship and Mafokate.
During cross-examination, Fick introduced photographs her client had taken of Twala when he visited her at hospital the day after the alleged assault.
Twala claims she didn’t want to see him, but he insisted, and she was unaware that he had taken pictures of her.
“I had not given him the liberty to be photographing me. I was not aware he would take them to use against me in court,” she said.
When asked why she’d come to the conclusion that the accused would use the pictures in court, she replied: “Because I know what kind of man he is.”
Fick also introduced videos and pictures Twala posted on her social media accounts after the alleged assault.
One image referred to a tweet she posted on Tuesday of an X-ray of her pelvis after she underwent a pelvic replacement operation.
“How do you maintain you’re not guilty when these are the screws I have as a result of what you did to me?” she said in the tweet.
Twala claimed Mafokate’s three daughters were present at his house on the day of the alleged assault.
Twala was a musician signed to Mafokate’s record company, 999 Music, but she ended her contract with the label because there was allegedly money owed to her by them, and she claimed they were not furthering her brand. The ending of the contract occurred during her relationship with the producer.
The matter between the former lovers will resume on August 23 and 24 to complete Twala’s cross-examination.