Thuli Phongolo and DJ Maphorisa say they have resolved their matter privately

Thuli Phongolo and Themba Sekowe, also known as DJ Maphorisa, have landed themselves on the Twitter trends again after bringing a private matter to the public domain.

The duo trended last week after DJ Maphorisa appeared at the Randburg Magistrate’s Court on charges of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

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This after allegedly assaulting Phongolo “by hitting her with open hands and strangling her after she confronted him about an incident that happened the previous night where he was booked to perform,” said the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in a statement at the time.

Maphorisa granted bail

Phongolo laid a charge with Sandton South African Police Service (SAPS), that “acted promptly” and arrested Maphorisa.

She then filed a withdrawal statement and agreed for Maphorisa to be released on bail.

The court set bail at an amount of R4,000.

The case was remanded to 14 June 2023 for Maphorisa to lodge representations to the NPA.

Matter concluded privately

In a joint statement shared on their social media pages, Maphorisa and Phongolo said they had resolved the matter privately. They also bemoaned the “mixed” public attention and subsequent emotional stress.

“Being public figures, it is unavoidable that the public, media and their respective commercial partners all have an interest in this matter.

“Accordingly, they have decided to release this joint statement as the official and exclusive statement in the matter,” they said.

“The matter has received mixed public attention, causing a great deal of emotional stress on both parties involved.

“It is on this basis that the parties have since elected to resolve this matter privately through their respective management and legal teams. Consequently, Phongolo has since withdrawn the charges laid against Sekowe at the SAPS, Sandton Station.”

https://twitter.com/Thuli_P/status/1658156758739693591

Maphorisa and Phongolo said they were also concerned about the “disparaging, defamatory and in some instance, untrue remarks, statements and reports” about the incident.

“We view these in a serious light,” they said, adding they reserve their rights to pursue legal action against anyone defaming and spreading lies about them.

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“It is the desire of both parties to return to their respective fields of work following the now concluded private resolution of this matter. Neither of the parties has any intention to allow this private matter to impact their respective, or the other party’s brand and professional interests.

“They request the public to give them the time and space to return to their work unhindered.”

Maphorisa and Phongolo’s statement has received mixed reactions on social media.