Kwasa king in car crash controversy
Malo-a-Botsheba denies repossession rumours
Well-known ANC member and self-styled kwasa kwasa king Malo-a-Botsheba has dismissed claims that he intentionally crashed his cars after learning that they were up for repossession by an unidentified bank.
Several of Malo-a-Botsheba’s bakkies, branded with the ANC logo overlaid by pictures of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s face, crashed and overturned on a gravel road in GaRamaroka village in Bolobedi, Limpopo, on Wednesday.
Rumours on social media suggested Malo-a-Botsheba, born Stephen Sefofa, had crashed the vehicles after learning that they were up for repossession by the bank.
But yesterday, the Bolobedu-based singer vehemently denied that he deliberately crashed the cars to avoid the vehicles being repossessed.
Sefofa said the accident happened when the cars were being driven to Polokwane.
“The cars had been hired to mobilise support for the antiwomen abuse march. I was not even there,” Sefofa told Sowetan yesterday.
He said his drivers were apparently “blinded” by the dust caused by a truck using the same road. They lost control of the vehicles and collided with each other.
The outspoken politician said that the two drivers, who included his son and a relative, received treatment for minor injuries at a local hospital.
“But I don’t blame any of my drivers for the accident,” he said, adding that the drivers had since been discharged from hospital. “If I wanted to smash the cars then why wouldn’t I do it somewhere [else] and not at my home?”
Colonel Moatshe Ngoepe confirmed yesterday that they were investigating a case of “reckless and/or negligent driving” following the crash.
“Our investigations are still ongoing into the matter,” Ngoepe said. He said once the investigations were completed, the police would submit all the information on the case to the National Prosecuting Authority for assessment, and to decide if there were grounds for a successful prosecution. Yesterday, the ANC distanced itself from the accident. ANC spokesperson in the province, Donald Selamolela, said they had nothing to do with the matter.
“As the ANC we view the incident as unfortunate. But we’ve got nothing to comment about it because it was a private matter and had nothing to do with the organisation.”
He said “from time to time” they had a relationship with Sefofa during their events but would not entertain his private matters.
“When someone brands his cars in the colours of the ANC, and the cars get involved in an accident, it does not need our intervention.”