Coco Ntshangase, the stepchild of The Mommy Club star Nozipho Ntshangase, has responded angrily to Real Housewives of Durban (RHOD) star Ameigh Thompson’s contentious remarks regarding stepchildren in a social media exchange that has South African reality TV fans in a frenzy.
The drama, which is playing out live on social media sites like Instagram, started when Coco posted a picture of herself taking selfies with Misokuhle Ntshangase, her new stepmother, which resulted in a harsh response from Thompson.
The controversy started when Thompson, a new cast member of RHOD Season 4, appeared to be referring to Coco’s post on social media when she expressed her contempt for stepchildren.
Thompson stated: “There is nothing you can do for a child you did not bear. Their loyalties will always lie with their parent [no matter how toxic they are] and whoever holds Daddy’s bank card.”
She went further, urging mothers to stop making concessions for stepchildren and labelling “evil stepmothers” as enduring the longest, while those who try to build relationships face the greatest challenges.
Coco points to cyberbullying
Coco, the daughter of Zola Ntshangase, who recently married Misokuhle Mzizi as his second wife after 17 years of marriage to Nozipho, did not take kindly to Thompson’s remarks.
The photo of Coco and Misokuhle in a car together, shared on Instagram, was reposted by Thompson on her Instagram Stories with a lengthy rant about “evil stepchildren”, using Coco as an example.
Coco took to her Instagram stories to express her lack of appreciation for the cyberbullying she has experienced.
“I just want to say I really don’t appreciate the cyberbullying that’s been going around,” said Coco.
“It’s draining seeing people speak on things they honestly don’t know much about; what was shared online is only a small part of what’s really been happening.”
She went on to say that important things that are not widely known have happened since the wedding.
She also touched on the decision to attend the wedding, stating that she was not forced.
“We went because we love our father deeply and genuinely wanted to support him during that time. It was not about choosing sides; rather, it was about simply showing love to our parent,” she said.
Picking a side
Coco also expressed frustration with the expectation that children should “pick a side”, noting: “I wish parents could understand that making kids feel like they have to pick a side is not okay; it’s really painful being put in the middle of adult decisions that we didn’t ask to be a part of.
“I moved in with Mama [Nozipho] in 2023 full-time, and I’m honestly truly grateful for everything she did for me. I’ll always appreciate her, and ngiyamthanda [I love her] for the role she played in my life. I’ll never forget that.
“At the same time, I also love and support my dad, Zola. He has done a lot for us, and I will stand by him.”
She also discussed how public perception has limitations, emphasising that people do not know the full story and that social media is not always an accurate reflection of the truth.
“So please don’t be so quick to judge or speak on things you don’t fully understand and don’t know about.
“One day the truth will come out, and also the boys will also speak out and share their side too.
“As for me, I take full accountability for how I handled things. I tried my best to come from a place of love, and everything I did was for the sake of peace in our family, nothing more.”
