‘I have been in this court 51 times’ − Basetsana Kumalo as Jackie Phamotse gets sentencing date

March 26 is the date the court has set for the sentencing of author Jackie Phamotse in the case involving Romeo and Basetsana Kumalo.

The matter has seen numerous postponements after Phamotse was found guilty last year.

Basetsana Kumalo took the stand at the Randburg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday to give her victim impact statement. In it, the former Miss SA detailed how the delays in finalising the case have affected her.

“I have been in this court 51 times over the last five years, 51 times, for the last three years incurring costs of flights and accommodation. The opportunity costs of this case are unimaginable,” she said.

In 2018, Phamotse tweeted about an alleged sex tape that social media users concluded involved the Kumalos and a boy celebrity.

Basetsana turns 50 later this month while Romeo celebrated his 52^nd birthday a few weeks ago. The two have been married for more than 20 years.

ALSO READ: Basetsana Kumalo’s heartfelt birthday tribute amid ongoing legal battle with Jackie Phamotse

The delays

After the pair took legal action against the author, she was found guilty of defamation, crimen injuria and contempt of court on 19 September, 2023.

Sentencing was first expected to be handed down on 24 October 2023, but it was postponed to 14 November. On that date, a decision was made to sentence Phamotse in 2024.

In February, Phamotse appeared in court where her legal team asked for another delay.

Phamotse’s lawyer, Mpho Mathonsi, argued in favour of a postponement citing a report by a social worker that needs to be concluded before sentencing can take place.

ALSO READ: Author Jackie Phamotse found guilty in Kumalos case

Taking a toll

In 2023, Basetsana spoke of her relief when the judgment was handed down.

“This is for my children, who had to live in shame for the last five years, for my parents’ legacy who raised us well and today I want to thank everybody… I mean this is my guy,” said Basetsana outside of court in September.

In her victim impact statement, the entrepreneur painted a clear picture of how much of a toll the case has had on her children, extended family and even the couple’s business interests.

The “unimaginable opportunity costs” of this case have extended to their kids who were faced with ostracization. “Missing our kid’s school events, as we had to be in court to protect and repair our dignity,” averred Basetsana.

“Those moments we cannot regain, where they would be the only kids whose parents have not showed up because we had to be here [in court].”

“I was put on the stand for a solid five days, being ridiculed, shamed, embarrassed, vilified and demeaned by Mr Mathonsi when all I was trying to do was to seek justice for a lie that was spread about my family.”

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Forced relocation

She mentioned that the family eventually relocated to Cape Town in 2020 because of the difficulty of life around Gauteng following Phamotse’s tweets.

“We had to move from our home in Kyalami Gauteng to Cape Town because we could just not stand to see the pain that our children hand been going through.

“To add insult to injury, the so-called ‘sex video’ which Ms Phamotse, in this very box that I am standing in, under cross examination, confirmed that it does not exist is clearly a figment of her imagination, which was supposedly shot in our home, where we are raising our three children.”

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