Cheating and domestic violence allegations have divided the family of Patrick Shai, with the late actor’s wife, Masechaba, now saying she is willing to take a paternity test to prove that the children were fathered by Shai.
This after Masechaba received messages accusing her of cheating on the late actor with a medical doctor. The messages go on to state that her son Kopano was a product of the illegitimate affair.
Sunday World reported in January that the legendary actor died by suicide in the garage of his house in Dobsonville, Soweto.
News of Shai’s alleged suicide, which sent shockwaves throughout the continent, was revealed by a family friend who did not want to be named for fear of reprisal.
One of the messages received by Masechaba, which Sunday World has seen, also suggests that the former Generations actor was so heartbroken that he did not want to sleep at home the night before he died by suicide.
The messages have since pitted the actor’s widow against her children, who seemingly believe that she might have indeed cheated on the actor. It was for this reason that Masechaba was even prepared to avail herself for DNA tests to prove her innocence and to show that the children are the late actor’s flesh and blood.
The actor’s widow and Sechaba, the couple’s first-born child, are, however, adamant that Sechaba’s girlfriend Sihle Sibisi sent the messages because she is still bitter that he dumped her after she allegedly bumped him with her car on two separate occasions this year.
The attacks on Sechaba allegedly happened at the house he shared with Sibisi in Bryanston in Johannesburg.
Sechaba told Sunday World that he started dating Sibisi, the anti-gender-based violence activist and founder of Kwanele Foundation, a few days after the death of Shai.
He said Sibisi, who frequently appeared on MojaLove’s Abafundisi show, asked him to move in with her after he had some misunderstanding with his mother, noting that after a few months of cohabitation, Sibisi started cheating on him.
The couple tried to rekindle their love but things did not work out, said Sechaba, alleging that Sibisi once attacked him at their home following a heated argument.
After a series of heated arguments and fights, Sechaba finally decided to end the relationship. “As I was packing my clothes, she locked all the doors in a bid to prevent me from leaving,” he said, noting that he then left through the garage door.
“As I was opening the door, she was reversing her car and bumped me on my lower left leg as I was walking towards the gate,” alleged Sechaba, adding that he has opened a case against Sibisi at the Sandton police station.
Police spokesperson Mavela Masondo confirmed that a case of common assault was opened against Sibisi. “No arrest has been made and investigations are under way,” said Masondo.
Sibisi confirmed that she bumped Sechaba but said it was an accident. She, however, denied that she physically attacked him and said he was in fact the one who punched her in the face on the day he moved out.
Sibisi also poured cold water over the allegations that she sent the messages to Sechaba’s mother, saying she also received a barrage of abusive messages from the same number that was tormenting Shai’s widow.
“The allegations that his mother was abusing his father and that Patrick did not want to sleep at the house the day before his death were relayed to me by Sechaba himself and Patrick’s best friend. They must leave me out of this,” said Sibisi in a statement.
But Shai’s widow is having none of it, saying she would go to court to prove that Sibisi was behind the messages.
Pearl Maake ka Ncube, the spokesperson for the Shai family, said the family is hurting over the allegations as they seek to soil the actor’s legacy.
“Ordinarily we wouldn’t engage on such matters, but this matter involves our father with the aim of tarnishing his name and portraying him as a coward for having taken his own life,” said Maake ka Ncube in a statement.
“We therefore ask the public to exercise their own judgement, and we plead for your understanding in the position we have taken as a family to distance ourselves from this whole matter.
“The Shai family is currently seeking proper guidance from their legal team and authorities on the matter.”
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