Comedian arrested over abuse claims
Threat to send five Nigerians to rape ex-wife
AWELL-KNOWN comedian and former radio presenter was arrested at his La Mercy home last Sunday after he violated a protection order taken out against him by his ex-wife.
The ex-wife has alleged that for the past 10 years, she faced continuous intimidation and sometimes abuse at the hands of the former presenter.
She said she was left with no option but to get a protection order against him in 2008.
In recordings heard by the Tribune Herald, the man threatened to send five “Nigerian” men to rape his ex-wife, and said he would watch as this was done.
Both the comedian and his ex-wife cannot be named, to protect their minor children.
Police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele confirmed the man’s arrest.
“A 42-year-old male was arrested for contravening a protection order. He was charged and he appeared in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Monday,” said Mbele.
He was released on a warning. The ex-wife claimed that the former presenter had not been fulfilling his maintenance responsibilities as a father for the past five months and that even though a protection order was in place, he would repeatedly call and make threats towards her.
“It was time to speak out because the situation has got really bad, to the point that I fear for the lives of myself and my children.
“He calls me, swears at me all the time and makes threats towards me and my elder daughter, who is not his child,” said the ex-wife.
The comedian has hit back at his accusers, saying he was thrown into a cell for no reason.
“My ex-wife has been using her police contacts to have me arrested. I have been arrested at least eight times in the past 10 years, even at former places of work.
“I was recently arrested on the set of a movie in which I had starred. I’ve been thrown in jail time and time again for nothing. I was even nearly raped in jail on one occasion,” claimed the former presenter.
He admitted to making the threatening comments towards her and said he didn’t care about his statements, or about whether it was Women’s Month, because to him, “enough was enough”.
“Any man who does not get to see his children for more than 50 days would be angry.
“I’ve made those comments. She deserves to be spoken to in that way, she has made my life miserable,” said the man.
He said he had tried to maintain a peaceful relationship because his ex-wife was still the mother of his children, but he could no longer do this.
He claimed that she was trying to extort money from him.
He claimed that he, too, had considered taking out a protection order, against her this week.
“I, too, could have taken out a protection order a long time ago, but I chose not to do this for the sake of our children.
“I will not tolerate this any more,” said the presenter.
He said he was at a low point in his life and that he had been trying to pick up the pieces.
“Nobody wants to book me any more because of the negative image that my ex-wife is trying to portray of me in public.
“I do not need the work or the money because I am wealthy enough to buy off Makro if I wanted, but what concerns me is that
I’ve always shared a good relationship with the public.
“This has now been tarnished due to the nasty attempts of my ex-wife to make me look like the devil,” said the comedian.