The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) have announced they would be laying criminal charges against Mandla “Mampintsha” Maphumulo, after a video appearing to show him assaulting Gqom queen Babes Wodumo, real name Bongekile Simelane, went viral, evoking widespread outrage.
The party’s chairperson in the province, Vusi Khoza, will lead the KZN EFF to the Umlazi Magistrate’s Court to lay charges at 11am on Monday morning.
This follows a statement from the EFF nationally which condemned Maphumulo’s actions, calling them “repulsive and disgusting”.
The party called on those who see Mampintsha to “do a public arrest” and “take him to a police station”, and encouraged women who were victims of abuse “never to be silenced or threatened, but to speak out against violence”.
EFF spokesperson Doctor Mbuyiseni Ndlozi tweeted in support of the hashtag #ArrestMampintsha.
He is one of several prominent South Africans who has called for the producer and musician, best known as being a member of kwaito group Big Nuz, to be arrested.
Others include Sizwe Dlhomo, Hlomla Dandala, and DJ Zinhle. Boity Thulo, meanwhile, called for radio stations not to give Mampintsha a chance to defend himself on air, and Ntsiki Mazwai called for events promoters to stop booking him.
A video in which singer and dancer Babes Wodumo can be seen being beaten, allegedly by Maphumulo, had South Africa seething on Monday morning.
Attempts to contact Maphumolo through his publicist at West Ink Bookings were unsuccessful at the time of publication.
He has been accused of beating her before.
The footage is apparently from a live Instagram video broadcast she was doing with fans overnight.
READ MORE: Mampintsha responds to Babes Wodumo abuse allegations
Although she or someone else allegedly deleted the original video, clips of it have nevertheless been doing the rounds, especially on Twitter, where the videos have been trending all morning.
(Compiled by Daniel Friedman. Background reporting by Charles Cilliers and Vhahangwele Nemakonde).
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