WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT?
Babes Wodumo captured her abuse via a live Instagram video for her followers to see…
MOODY lighting. Strategically placed camera. The backdrop, a bed that was clearly slept on by only one person. The scene was set – quite literally.
A whole 226 Instagrammers – diehard fans, you know the kind, blowing kisses and pumping out hearts at a rate of knots at 1am on a Monday – found themselves viewing an Instagram Live video started by their much-loved Babes Wodumo.
Of her 1.6 million followers, they probably considered themselves lucky to have caught her at such an ungodly hour. Little did they realise they had been invited for a purpose far darker than showing adoration for the popular Durban singer.
The drama that unfolded live on Instagram, going viral on other social media platforms within hours, shook South Africa to the core, bringing to the fore the country’s struggle to get a handle on gender-based violence.
The biggest talk around water coolers on Monday was “that” video of gqom artist Bongekile “Babes Wodumo” Simelane being assaulted by her musician boyfriend Mandla “Mampintsha” Maphumulo.
The incident brought into sharp focus society’s attitude to the effects of destructive and abusive relationships on women – and the judgement victims face once the veil is yanked off.
In graphic detail, the video let us into the private lives of two people who could have been any South African couple.
We heard their heated verbal exchange. The claims of disrespect from each side… the taunting… all building up to that first blow.
Mampintsha, dressed only in boxer shorts, entered rapidly from the left.
The differences in their physiques was stark. The force of the blow knocked Babes Wodumo out of sight. We heard her cries off camera. Another strike saw her return to the central position.
Unlike Mampintsha, Babes Wodumo was fully dressed. He would later claim she returned to their Westville, Durban, home drunk and violently woke him to start a fight.
Then, more cries from Babes Wodumo : “Why are you hitting me?”.
His muffled response translated to: “Why don’t you leave? There are children in the house”.
She grabbed the smartphone and escaped the room when Mampintsha moved to the bed.
Meanwhile, the Instagram banter changed as fast as the viewer numbers grew… 243… seconds later... 297... seconds later 335.
Hearts and kisses gave way to several WTFS, “uba okshayayo?” (who’s giving you a hiding?), “wenzan umampintsha” (what is Mampintsha doing?), “aybo”… and perhaps the most telling… “not this again”.
Babes Wodumo hit the big time in 2016 with her song Wololo, and gwara gwara dance moves that bore testament to Shakira’s famous claim that hips don’t lie – and neither do the thighs.
Born Bongekile Simelane in 1994, she grew up in Lamontville, in Durban.
Her song’s popularity spread like wildfire and South Africa got its major introduction to gqom, a genre of electronic dance music that emerged around Durban in 2010.
Babes Wodumo rode the wave of success – but always with Mampintsha by her side, and on her songs.
Mampintsha by then was already a hugely successful musician as one third of Durban kwaito group, Big Nuz.
In 2017, gqom grew with Babes Wodumo featured on hit songs such as
Shut Up and Groove by the Distruction Boyz – again with Mampintsha by her side. After Wololo, she released her debut album, Gqom Queen Vol. 1. While the album didn’t win awards, it did get her nominated for a BET award in the Best Newcomer: Africa category, and a string of nominations at the 16th Metro FM Music Awards and the SA Music Awards in 2017.
Fans were soon referring to Babes Wodumo as the “queen of gqom”, a title she readily embraced.
Mampintsha remained a constant feature on every Babes Wodumo song, including Umngan’wami and Family alongside Cassper Nyovest.
The Durban singer achieved international fame when she featured on
Black Panther: The Album. She also worked with actress Ntando Duma on
Jiva Phez’kombhede, released in 2017. Mampintsha was on that track too. Rumours that the pair were dating surfaced in June 2017. Quizzed, Mampintsha denied the claims, saying he viewed Babes Wodumo as a sister.
Pictures on social media of Mampintsha and Babes Wodumo wearing wedding rings sparked marriage rumours in March last year.
A picture of the couple posted on Instagram by the Wololo star, added credence to the frothing story.
Some fans said they were engaged but not married and others even alleged Babes Wodumo was pregnant.
It soon became public knowledge they were a couple and the pair lit up red carpets and fired up social media with gusto. However, it would seem a different reality was playing out, away from the cameras. Their tumultuous relationship, often fraught with rumours of abuse, came under scrutiny during the controversial Metro FM interview with Masechaba Ndlovu last May.
Probed by Ndlovu, who was later lambasted for her questions and comments, Babes Wodumo confirmed the pair had been engaged at some point, but were not engaged any longer.
The gunpowder in the cannon was her public admission that Mampintsha physically abused her, resulting in a broken nose and leg. Twitter went mad.
Two months later they were back together.
On Monday, the tsunami-like prowess of social media had everyone from celebrities to ministers to regular tweeps weighing in on the video.
While most Tweeters came out support of Babes Wodumo and abused women, outrage was counterbalanced with victim-shamers who said Babes Wodumo “provoked” Mampintsha and that “she appeared to be drunk”.
Some even said the video appeared to be a publicity stunt.
Meanwhile, Mampintsha, who filed a counterclaim of assault against Babes Wodumo, faces a growing campaign to boycott his music.
#Mutemampintsha is gaining momentum on social media and several celebrities have called for the public to close their ears to him.
However, insiders fear the impact this would have on Babes Wodumo’s career. The singer is not only signed to his label but Mampintsha features on most of her songs.
Does muting Mampintsha mean muting Babes Wodumo?
The entertainment industry, buoyed by a patriarchal social system, has a history of protecting abusers.
What face the industry shows to Mampintsha remains to be seen.
Babes Wodumo, by her own admission a long-suffering victim of domestic violence, took a bold decision when she positioned her camera and started the Instagram Live video.
In a powerfully emotive manner, she captured the country’s attention and demanded focus on the screams behind closed doors.
The screams often ignored by neighbours and sometimes the law.
Now that we’ve all seen… what is our role in stopping the scourge of gender-based violence in our communities?