UPDATE: Babes Wodumo presses assault charges against Mampintsha

Bongekile Simelane, stage name Babes Wodumo, made her way earlier today to a police station to press charges against Mandla Maphumulo, stage name Mampintsha.

Bongekile Simelane known as Babes Wodumo is at a police station to lay charges against Mandla Maphumulo known as Mampintsha. #sabcnews

— Nzinga Qunta (@NzingaQ) March 4, 2019

Subsequent reports have confirmed that she was at the Westville Police Station in Durban. The family spokesperson, Sakhile Mhlonishwa, confirmed an assault case was opened.

According to a friend’s statement, she was planning to only release her official statement about the matter later on Monday as she was still too emotional. However, this later changed to a press conference taking place tomorrow morning at which Simelane will appear.

Simelane and Maphumulo have been trending for the past 24 hours after a video of the latter evidently abusing the former went viral on social media.

https://twitter.com/BABESWODUMO/status/1102518906768510976

The national commissioner of police, General Khehla John Sitole, said in a statement that the video was being analysed, primarily to establish and verify the identities of those in the video.

“However, in the meantime, the National Commissioner had ordered police to trace the whereabouts of Ms Wodumo so that a statement can be obtained from her and a case opened if indeed it is her that is being assaulted in the video. A senior member from the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit has been dedicated to investigate this case, which case will be overseen by a Major General who is the National Head of the same unit,” said police spokesperson Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo.

“Crimes against women, children and people with disabilities are one the of the priorities of the South African Police Service. Therefore, we will do everything to ensure that justice prevails when such incidents are reported to us,” said Sitole.

“We are calling upon Ms Wodumo to please register a case at a police station nearest to her.”

WATCH: Video of Babes Wodumo allegedly being attacked by Mampintsha

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