Lerato Maphatsoe, the widow of former defence minister Kebby Maphatsoe, has opened up about her struggles following the death of her husband.
Following the death of her husband in 2021, Maphatsoe, who appears on Widows Unveiled, has been the target of extramarital affair accusations and court cases.
She had no choice but to pick up the pieces and give herself and their three kids stability. But it turned out that she underestimated how difficult it would be to pick up the pieces.
Maphatsoe revealed that since she does not currently have a relationship with her in-laws, she is not worried about what they would think of her appearance on the show.
She does, however, still maintain a relationship with the wives of her late husband’s elder brothers because they have provided her with a lot of support.
Her kids were the first people she shared the idea with as the co-executive producer of the show, and she gave them an explanation of why she felt compelled to tell her story to everyone.
I needed a platform to offload
“I’m the one who came up with the concept [for the show],” she said.
“I actually spoke to my children about everything, and I told them that I needed a platform to offload all that I’ve been through and that we needed to talk about these things.
“I’m not going to hide … My children are fine.”
Despite her confidence in her desire to participate in the project, she is forthright about the challenges encountered throughout the process.
”Sharing the deepest, darkest secrets of my marriage and thinking to myself, some will ask while watching the show, ‘why did she stay?’. Just reliving everything. It’s not easy.
“You don’t even know what you are getting yourself into. But I was like, ‘okay, I’m doing this,’ but I did not know the magnitude of the emotions.
“And now I’m filming with all these women, and it was just draining, but it’s for a good cause.”
I meet my husband in the spirit world
She acknowledged that her husband would not have likely approved of her involvement in the show if he were still alive.
“When he was alive, maybe he was not going to approve. But now that we’re talking, he’s no longer here. I’m a very spiritual person. I meet with him in the spirit world, and he’s a different person.
“He has apologised numerous times to me, saying, ‘you know what, Lerato, I’m sorry’. So, I don’t think it will be a problem for him for me to speak my truth on this show.”
She claims that, with the exception of the cast member she brought to the show, she is very close with three other cast members.
“There’s a lot that’s happening with her. So I’ve decided to distance myself from her because I don’t want to find myself being involved in altercations and saying things that are not kind,” she said.
We’re authentic, nothing is scripted
According to Maphatsoe, viewers can expect a lot of discomfort and honesty from each lady’s storyline.
“Viewers can expect things that are not comfortable to speak about, especially as a black society,” said Maphatsoe.
“Viewers can expect that we are authentic; we are telling our truth, and nothing is scripted; everything is from our own realities.
“I’m telling my story. It is your responsibility how you receive it.”
Widows Unveiled launched on Showmax on February 12 and has new episodes streamed every Monday.
