Steve Kekana’s children take on his ex-wife in fight over his estate

Steve Kekana’s six children and his ex-wife, Ntsikelelo Mathimba, are facing off over the authenticity of his will and distribution of his lucrative estate, which includes shares in a multimillion-rand shopping mall in Limpopo.

Sunday World understands that Kekana’s children have hired lawyer Nthabiseng Dubazana of Dubazana Attorneys to challenge the validity of Kekana’s will in which he appointed Mathimba as the executor of the estate and nominated her as one of the beneficiaries.

The celebrated musician died of Covid-19 on July 1 last year.

He divorced Mathimba in 2017 after she accused him of beating her and cheating on her with three mistresses, and of bringing one of the mistresses to their marital home in Alberton, south of Joburg.

After his death, Mathimba submitted an unsigned, thumb-printed will to her lawyer Lot Ramusi of Ramusi Attorneys, and claimed it was left behind by the semi-blind artist. The will stated that Kekana had appointed Mathimba as the executor of the estate and nominated her and his six children as beneficiaries.

It also stated that among the assets to be distributed are his royalties collected by the South African Music Performance Rights Association (Sampra), shares in a mall that is being developed in Makgatle village and a few motor vehicles.

It provided for Mathimba to get the Alberton property the former lovebirds shared before their acrimonious divorce, among other things.

But this ruffled the feathers of the musician’s children, who questioned the authenticity of the will and her appointment as executor and beneficiary. They also question why the will was not signed but was thumb-printed.

The children further charge that the artist had died intestate (without a will), and someone could have drafted it and fraudulently thumb-printed it.

The children want the lawyers to ask the Limpopo High Court to review and set aside or declare the will unlawful and invalid. If the court answers their prayer, they want to receive the royalties, the house, shares in the mall and the R10 000 “Limpopo Legend Award” gong that will be posthumously awarded to him by Limpopo Art Movement (LAM).

Kekana’s brother, Simone, who is leading the musician’s children in the battle against Mathimba, referred us to Dubazana, who confirmed that she had filed papers in court to challenge Kekana’s estate and the validity of the will.

“We will serve the papers on the other parties and if they file papers to oppose and we win the case, they will have to pay our costs. But I cannot comment much on the case as it is sub judice,” she said. Mathimba referred us to her attorneys Lot Ramusi, who insisted that the muso did not die intestate.

“I have had a meeting with all the beneficiaries in my office where I told them that Mrs Kekana is only an executor of the estate and a beneficiary. But the royalties collected, and every cent will not be paid directly to her but into the estate account.

“We have opened a distribution and liquidation account and after gathering all his assets and liabilities, and paying creditors, we will then check if there is a surplus and that surplus will be distributed to all the beneficiaries nominated by the deceased,” he said.

Ramusi said the family was at liberty to challenge the authenticity of the will but he will oppose it. “It is my instruction to oppose, and I will definitely oppose it,” he said.

Sampra CEO Pfanani Lishivha confirmed it put the brakes on the payment of Kekana’s royalties pending the outcome of the court case.

LAM chairperson Mphoza Mashabela confirmed that it received two contradicting instructions about who it should hand the award and money to.

“The law must take its course and we will be guided by it.”