Mampintsha apologises to Babes Wodumo, says he’s handed himself over to God
The Big Nuz musician appears to have had a major change of heart.
Mandla ‘Mampintsha’ Maphumulo has been arrested for allegedly assaulting his partner Bongekile ‘Babes Wodumo’ Simelane. He appeared at Pinetown Magistrate’s Court on assault charges, 5 March 2019. Picture: ANA
After initially claiming to be the victim in a domestic violence abuse case involving his now ex-girlfriend Babes Wodumo, Kwaito musician Mampintsha has now attempted to apologise in a long public statement.
He also claims he needs therapy and will be attending counselling sessions.
In a social media statement on Saturday, Mampintsha, real name Mandla Maphumolo, attempted to apologise to both Wodumo, real name Bongekile Simelane, and South Africa at large.
She has not yet responded. The two are not meant to be in contact due to the criminal cases they lodged against each other in Durban.
Mampintsha wrote on Saturday that he was ashamed of and disappointed in himself.
However, he still hit out at people apparently trying to use his “tragic situation” to allegedly advance their own interests. But he quickly claimed to have forgiven them and handed himself over to God.
In a statement that appeared to walk the tight-rope of self-pity and self-flagellation, Mampintsha declared that most of his friends and acquaintances had allegedly turned their backs on him.
“To Bongekile Simelane and the whole Simelane family, to our leaders and in this country, to my colleagues and fellow industry artists, to the general public, once more especially to our women, to my family and God, I’d like to say I’M REALLY SORRY AND REGRET EVERYTHING. PLEASE FORGIVE ME.”
This was something of a change from what he had defiantly told media outside the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court earlier this month: that 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 after being posted by Wodumo on her Instagram account.
ALSO READ: WATCH: Video of Babes Wodumo allegedly being attacked by Mampintsha
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.
Wadumo 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.
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