DJ Fresh has dropped a bombshell – he broke up with his TV personality girlfriend Penny Lebyane 19 years ago because she tried to force his friends off the road.
Fresh, real name Thato Sikwane, said as a result of the dramatic incident, a protection order was obtained against Lebyane.
The former Metro FM DJ, who now works for 94.7 FM, revealed the shocking tidbits in papers he fi led in the Joburg High Court in which he is applying for a court interdict against controversial poet and singer Ntsiki Mazwai.
This after Ntsiki posted on her social media platforms that DJ Fresh was a rapist. She was reacting to social media posts by Lebyane, who claimed that her ex-boyfriend, whose name she did not reveal, abused her and another post by Swazi, in which she alleged Fresh “forced himself on her” at a club in Montecasino, Fourways, about 17 years ago.
“In so far as Penny Lebyane, the author of the original post is concerned, I dated her briefly in 2001, i.e. 19 years ago. I broke up with her because our relationship was toxic and a restraining order was obtained against her after she attempted to force friends of mine off the road. I have not had dealings with her since,” reads Fresh’s affidavit.
Lebyane said she was upset that Fresh had dragged her into his battle with Mazwai. “I have never mentioned his name in my posts, he is quantifying himself using me. One, ngingenaphi [where do I feature in all this]? Two, he is quantifying himself using me, three, ontlwaela ma*&%$#a [he’s taking me for a sh**t]. Ja, those three,” said Lebyane.
She also said she knows nothing about the protection order obtained against her and that she did not try to force anyone off the road. In the papers, which are in our possession, Fresh said that on or about June 22 this year, Mazwai posted the following derogatory and defamatory statement about him: “I’m on Facebook and there is [a thread exposing celebrity rapists… I’m posting all. I’m starting with the allegation against DJ Fresh. Because famous men abuse their power.”
Fresh said it was apparent that Mazwai made the statement based on a social media post on Facebook, dated September 4 2019, without conducting an investigation into the veracity of those allegations and, most importantly, without evidence. Nowhere in the original post was it stated that he was a rapist and had abused his position as an influential public figure. “It is clear that the respondent proceeded to repost and publicly disseminate the Facebook post by adding malicious context and her unsubstantiated opinion.”
Fresh has asked the court to grant him an order to force Mazwai to retract the statement and take down the post. This because Mazwai has refused to retract the post despite a letter of demand by Fresh’s legal team. “I feel like I’m being intimidated by you and I want clarity if this is the case? Your client has reputational damage already from the post on Facebook which has nothing to do with me,” Mazwai responded in a letter. Mazwai declined to comment on the matter, which will be heard on Tuesday.
