A clip that emerged on Tuesday of Bongekile “Babes Wodumo” Simelane, apparently spending time with her friends in Durban after the furore surrounding an alleged assault on her in the early hours of Sunday, has divided opinion among those who’ve seen it.
The first part of the clip shows Simelane in a training bra, and it then jumps to another moment in time, eight minutes later, in which a woman is wearing a T-shirt and cap and responding to the Instagram video of Simelane’s now ex-boyfriend Mampintsha allegedly attacking the Wololo singer on Sunday. It’s not entirely clear if the woman is in fact Simelane in a different outfit or just one of her friends, since the video quality is poor.
eNCA was airing the clip on repeat regularly on Monday and Tuesday, and the group was evidently reacting to this on the evening news.
The woman in the cap and others shriek with glee and high fives are shared.
Take a look below (you may have to activate audio manually on your device):
The footage was shared on Facebook on Tuesday by Samkelo Sam Zulu, and it led some to alleged that it showed Simelane’s father had perhaps been exaggerating her injuries and her need to be hospitalised, while still others alleged that Mampintsha was being “played”, as he alleges.
However, Babes Wodumo’s supporters said the clip could be interpreted a number of ways and was not proof that Simelane was being deceptive in any way.
In the earlier part of the clip, Babes Wodumo’s friends can be heard suggesting they should wear black when they go to court, while another says that what Mampintsha did was wrong.
“I was tired,” responds Babes Wodumo.
Another friend commends her for taking action against Mampintsha. He claimed yesterday that it was in fact him who had been subjected to abuse at Babes Wodumo’s hands. He has, however, been accused of beating her before.
She has since opened a case against him, while Mampintsha’s lawyer said his client had opened a counter-charge of assault.
On Wednesday, Simelane opened up for the first time about the case. She posted a picture of herself with her late friend Karabo Mokoena, who was killed by her boyfriend Sandile Mantsoe, saying she could have suffered the same fate.
Mantsoe was in 2018 found guilty of murdering Mokoena. He stabbed her and then attempted to cover up the murder by dumping her body in a veld and setting it alight in 2017.
Simelane said she could have been the next victim if she had not called for help.
“In 2017 I lost a friend because of abuse, I could have been next. I’m walking away. I could have been next! This could have been you, your sister, your daughter, your niece. We are not victims but survivors,” she said.
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