Sonia Mbele’s son, Donell, appears in court on two counts of rape

Actress Sonia Mbele’s son, Donell Mbele, appeared in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 20 January, facing two counts of rape.

This follows allegations made by his former partner, who accused him of rape earlier this month. Detailing the incident on Instagram, the ex-partner claimed it occurred on the night of 14 December and in the early morning hours of 15 December last year.

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwana told Newzroom Afrika that the matter was court-ready on Monday.

“The docket was previously brought to the NPA, but we could not enrol the matter. We instructed the police to carry out certain investigations, and once those investigations were concluded, the docket was brought back to us for a decision. Today, we felt that the matter is court-ready.”

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Previous charges

In 2022, Donell appeared in court on charges of physically assaulting his then-girlfriend, Reokeditswe.

Following the incident, Donell’s mother released a statement expressing her full love and support for Reokeditswe.

The actress added that she sent her son to rehab to seek professional help soon after the incident.

“I did not see this coming. They had been together for a while, and they were so close and in love. Immediately when this happened, I sat them both down and decided to send my son away to get help,” she said.

Sonia added that, as an abuse survivor, she does not support or condone it.

“From the age of 17 to 26, I was with a man who was abusive physically, psychologically, and emotionally. I’m mentioning this so that you understand that, as a woman who has suffered ALL kinds of abuse, I do not stand for, support, or condone such behaviour,” she said.

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