At home with ‘The Authority’
…how Berita Khumalo’s marriage crumbled
FOR what umpteenth time this year, Berita Khumalo once again found herself in the spotlight.
No, she had not released a new hit song that was once again turning heads in the South African music scene. Neither had she said anything controversial to rile up ever ready social media keyboard warriors. In fact, apart from a few tweets advertising some of her shows, she had not tweeted much for the first half of the year.
Instead, the songbird was once again in the crosshairs of social media users for the comments made by her husband, Nhlamulo “Nota” Baloyi. Over the last few years, the man who has dubbed himself “The Authority” on the South African entertainment scene, has had an opinion about almost any and everything. Credited for grooming and bringing to the fore such illustrious acts as rapper Kwesta and Sho Madjozi, Nota has even dubbed himself the P Diddy of the South African music scene, claiming to possess the ingenuity to build careers and make stars.
However, over the last two years, coinciding with his marriage to the Zimbabwean songbird, Nota has become particularly scathing in his appraisal of individuals in South African showbiz, earning the ire of many a superstar.
Nota’s comments about socialite and social media influencer Mihlali Ndamase on a podcast on 1 July however, seemed to be the straw that broke the proverbial camel’s back, as a large number of South Africans came out against him after what was only the latest in a long line of insensitive statements from a man who seems to be perpetually offside.
“They don’t understand that if Mihlali is for sale, that means she’s an object, which means that you can kill her if you want to. It’s like buying a dog. You can put it down,” he said.
The comments, made in light of the high levels of crime against women in South Africa, struck the wrong chord, with many condemning them as uncouth and dangerous.
However, while some kept their focus Nota’s comments in isolation, others wondered out loud how Berita, seemingly one of the most respectable and respectful musicians in South Africa, could keep her silence as her husband violated another woman in the same industry in which they are both players.
Berita’s response would come only a few days later, as she announced that she had left their matrimonial home in January and the couple was effectively separated.
“The day I decided to leave my marriage is the day I had to choose between being married and being alive,” she tweeted, telling her fans and followers that she is no longer married to the media personality.
“I am no longer married to Nhlamulo ‘Nota’ Baloyi. I left our marital home on Thursday the
13 of January 2022. As it stands, we are currently separated. I have been quiet because my safely has been a huge concern. This man is extremely irresponsible, reckless and unruly. He simply does not listen to anyone. I do not condone his actions. I cannot even begin to count the numerous times he has erred in his speech.”
Berita also took the opportunity to apologise to Mihlali.
“Mntase uxolo. I apologise to you. I do not condone the things said by Nota to you. No woman should ever have to be objectified and ripped apart publicly or privately!
“The bullying and disgrace I have faced publicly and privately is painful.
This man’s irrational behaviour is beyond me. I am a very reasonable person. I will be the first to admit. I missed very big red flags.”
It was a spectacular “coming out” statement who usually keeps her private life under wraps. However, this was not the first time over the last year that Berita has to come out and speak out after social media commentators had charged at her as Nota once again used his self-given authority to place himself on the wrong side of social media popular opinion.
“Attention... There are some people on this app that think they can come for me just because my husband has a public persona. You are crossing the line now. Please keep my name out of it. Respect please. Only love and light from my end. I don’t have time for nonsense!” she said in May last year.
At the time Nota was in running feuds in several influential individuals in the South African showbiz scene, including Kwesta, his one-time protégé Kwesta.
In a feud that ran for weeks, Nota claimed that the Ngud hitmaker was a drunk alcoholic rapidly losing his way.
“His alcoholism and lying screwed him over, not me,” he said after Kwesta had claimed in a podcast that Nota was claiming too much credit for ‘making him’. “He needs rehab and to tell us who owns Rap Lyfe (record label) because I don’t want the tax man coming for me for something I know nothing about.”
That was not to be the last of Nota’s controversies that year. In between public spates with notable showbiz figures in Mzansi, Nota took things up a notch in October after he got into a brawl with rapper Tumi Molekane at an event in Sandton.
At the beginning of the year, Nota once again found himself mired in controversy, this time for what seemed like an unjustified attack on rapper, Cassper Nyovest. This was after Nota claimed that Nyovest did not possess family values as he was raised by his step father. He also said that his biological father wasn’t “man enough” to raise him.
Amidst the backlash from the statements, Nyovest quipped that Nota was not the authority he thought he was, due to the questionable state of his mental wellbeing.
“I don’t know why y’all still listen to that guy. He’s not mentally stable and he’s a compulsive liar. He’s headed to a very sad place,” he said.
Last week, as she spoke about fear for her own life, many got their answers.
In a tweet on Thursday however, Nota set alarm bells ringing again when he seemed to suggest that he was not yet done with Berita yet.
“That’s my queen. Mrs Baloyi in sickness and in health, until death, amen!” he tweeted.