Mother accuses former goalkeeper of ‘stealing’ her daughter

Suzan Mabelane, the mother of a 21-year-old woman, claims goalkeeper-turned-pastor Peterside kept her daughter in his Kempton Park home for five months.

Mabelane said her daughter joined Peterside’s Christ Ambassador Church last December, where she met the keeper. The mother said he later appointed himself the young woman’s legal guardian, allegedly without her mother’s consent.

“Imagine not knowing or seeing your daughter for five months, and when you find out where she is, a pastor tells you that she is no longer your child,” Mabelane was quoted by The Sunday World.

“The worst thing was when he called me a witch because I was asking him to give me my child back.”

Peterside responded to the claims: “I don’t have to answer to you my friend. [I am] a journalist. All I ask is, do your job as a pro, and do an investigation and make sure you come up with the truth because you will meet me in court if you publish what is not the truth, and I will keep our conversation as evidence if you are wise like I believe you are.

“Call the police officer that came to my house and ask them what truth they found out. It will help you, my friend. And please, come to our church on Sunday and find out what kind of cult you think we are,” the goalkeeper said.

“Please, I am blocking you now. And I am enjoying my football [in Russia]. If you need more info on what to write, my name is Idah Peterside, I played for Moroka Swallows and Tembisa Classic, and I played football for the Super Eagles of Nigeria, since you have been sent to tarnish the image I have built in South Africa for 20 years because of xenophobia.”

He continued: “Did I add that the police have called me to apologise because they found out that the woman is lying because I will open a case against them. Is it wrong to be a foreigner in South Africa?”