Former Kaizer Chiefs and Bafana Bafana star Josta Dladla and his wife Thato have acrimoniously drifted apart after accusations and counter-accusations of infidelity and gender-based violence rocked their marriage.
Thato has accused Josta of physically abusing her and fathering children out of wedlock, while the retired footie star accused her of sleeping with her boyfriend in their matrimonial pad in the presence of their first-born child.
The disintegration of their union, which has been covered in a veil of secrecy, was revealed by a close family friend who did not want to be named for fear of victimisation. The couple walked down the aisle in a wedding of cosmic proportions in 2006, marrying in community of property, and they were blessed with three children. Relating the matter, the friend said Thato complained that Josta had cheated on her with different women and sired children out of wedlock.
What irked her even worse, was discovering that Josta has allegedly been bankrupting their joint estate by using their savings to maintain his illegitimate offspring. The friend also said Thato later lost interest in Josta because he was physically, mentally, emotionally and psychologically abusive towards her.
“Bareng [also known as Thato] also says Josta belittles her and makes her feel useless. She no longer loves him and has already instructed her lawyers to help her to file for divorce,” said the friend. The mate said Thato had also complained Josta could not hide his anger in front of people as he ridiculed her in the presence of extended family members when they had their differences. Aft er a big fight said the friend, Josta moved out in 2020 .
“That was the last straw that broke the camel’s back. Thato wants full custody of their three children, two boys and a girl, and wants Josta to maintain them.” Thato also told her lawyers that she wanted to obtain an order that will force Josta to forfeit 50% of the net value of their joint estate as punishment for using their savings to pay papgeld for the children he allegedly fathered with his concubines. She also wants R10 000 a month in maintenance. The friend said Josta refuted Thato’s allegations that he was physically abusing her.
“He said it was, in fact, Thato who was emotionally, psychologically, financially abusive towards him and that prompted him to vacate their matrimonial house.” The friend also said Josta dismissed as untrue claims he was involved in multiple adulterous affairs and said his estranged wife cheated on him.
“He said she even slept with her boyfriend in their marital house and was caught red-handed by their first-born child.
He also denied that he used money from their joint estate to support his children and said he used his R8 000 allowance that Thato paid him when he was working for her company, to support his other children,” said the friend. Josta couldn’t be reached at the time of going to press while Thato declined to comment.
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