Ex-Downs defender, Zulu relives Gogo Maweni’s abuse

Former Mamelodi Sundowns defender Siyabonga Zulu has opened up about the abuse he endured from his ex-girlfriend and baby mama, Gogo Maweni, a well-known traditional healer. 

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Zulu has recently made a comeback into the paid ranks, signing with La Masia, a Motsepe Foundation Championship team. 

He was last in the books of All Stars in 2021, and he had faced a period without a club, despite early expectations of a successful football career.

His ordeal began during his time with Platinum Stars, and escalated when he was at Mamelodi Sundowns, where he was signed by Pitso Mosimane. 

The abuse took toll on Zulu

Zulu’s relationship with Gogo Maweni took a severe toll on him. The abuse he suffered at the hands of his girlfriend, with whom he has children, led him into a dark period marked by alcoholism.

Zulu recalls, “She abused me to the point that I turned to alcohol, and Sundowns had to let me go.” 

His promising career, which had started at Platinum Stars, came to an abrupt halt.

He paints a harrowing picture, explaining that Maweni went to great lengths to torment him. 

“She even moved into a house close to where I stay so she could stalk me and continue the abuse,” Zulu revealed in a radio interview on Metro FM.

“Even before Sundowns, my life was already challenging due to her actions. She even attempted to take my life.” 

Legal troubles further compounded his distress. “I was arrested three times in Rustenburg (while wuth Platinum Stars,” he shared.

Zulu was accused of assault

Zulu went on to describe how Maweni would falsely accuse him of violence. “She would come to our training, saying I had sexually assaulted her. Then, she changed her story, claiming I had hit her.”

Nevertheless, when the case was set to go to court, it mysteriously fell apart, as Maweni would fail to appear. 

The abuse didn’t stop there. Zulu revealed a chilling incident where Maweni sent people to harm him. Fortunately, he narrowly escaped a potentially life-threatening situation.

“She once dispatched individuals to my family home with minors and my grandmother inside. 

“When they arrived at the house, I had just left. About ten minutes later, the assailants arrived and fired seven shots.”

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Zulu explained how he became certain that Maweni had orchestrated the attack. “The next day, she posted about it on social media, expressing hope that people had been killed.”