Bewitching television thespian Mbali Mlotshwa pleaded with her uncles on the day DJ Black Coffee paid lobola for her to allow him to marry her because he was a millionaire and she was smitten with him.
The explosive titbits are contained in the lengthy court judgment delivered by acting judge of the Johannesburg High Court, Mongezi Ntanga.
Mlotshwa also wanted the court to issue an order forcing Black Coffee to pay R500 000 a month towards the maintenance of her and their children.
She also said that she sacrificed her blossoming acting career because Black Coffee wanted her to stay at home to massage his injured hand, and also because he did not want her to kiss male actors on set.
Mlotshwa dragged Black Coffee to court for a decree of divorce and equal division of their lucrative estate, estimated to be in the north of R100-million.
She argued that they were married in community of property, while Black Coffee disputed the status of their union.
In the judgment, which we have seen, Ntanga said Mlotshwa testified that she first met Black Coffee, born Nathi Maphumulo, while on the set of a television show known as Tshisa when the internationally acclaimed music producer was a guest on the show. He told her he was carrying the torch for her, and they started dating after he melted her heart.
He said they later travelled to Greece, where they were engaged.
“On the same evening as the proposal, the defendant mentioned that he would like to send a letter to her uncles for [lobolo] negotiations. She sent a text message to her aunt advising her that her fiancée wanted to send a letter home. The aunt advised her to speak with her mother, who was shocked because she was young. The plaintiff’s mother gave them her blessing for their marriage,” the judge stated.
“She testified that tradition was followed; the groom stood outside of the gate and asked for permission to come in. Her uncles were not happy that she was engaged before the defendant had spoken to her family, but she spoke to them and requested leniency, as she was in love and the defendant was a millionaire,” he stated.
They agreed on an R70 000 dowry, and Black Coffee’s family paid it in two instalments.
Ntanga said Mlotshwa explained in her testimony why she wanted half a million rand monthly from Black Coffee.
“The plaintiff explained her lifestyle by testifying that she used to get shopping sprees of thousands of rands, euros and dollars.
“She testified that she is currently a freelance actress, and this varies from once a year to working five times a year, one short start project, or one six-month project. In total the plaintiff testified that an amount of R500 000 will be sufficient for both minor children and her,” reads the judgment.
He also said Mlotshwa’s career had suffered after Black Coffee told her he was not comfortable about her smooching her fellow male actors on set.
“The defendant was no longer comfortable with her taking kissing scenes. She testified that majority of the time she was not working. In order to keep peace in the household, she looked after the house, packing the defendant’s clothes, fed him, and massaged the defendant’s injured hand,” Ntanga wrote.
“The plaintiff testified that they started having difficulties in their marriage and averred that the defendant had extra-marital affairs, which resulted in the defendant having children outside of their marriage. Both parties confirmed that their marriage relationship has irretrievably broken down and that there are no prospects of restoring it to a normal marriage relationship.”
Ntanga said Black Coffee testified that when he met her, she was driving a rusty bucket.
“When the plaintiff got pregnant, she drove this vehicle, and he decided to buy her a new car the same year. He believes that the comments about him being a millionaire originate from this,” the judge stated.
“Regarding maintenance of the minor children, the defendant testified that he pays R50 000 every month in addition to school fees. He made an example of the amount of R300 000 he pays for school fees for one of the children. He testified that one of the children is in the racing academy, and the fees for that are R1-million. He testified that he pays R48 000 for security in the house where the plaintiff and the children reside. He disputed the plaintiff’s claim of R500 000 for maintenance,” wrote Ntanga.
