Black Leopards owner David Thidiela plans to sue former star Khethokwakhe Masuku after he made startling claims that the club and chairman forced the players to use muthi during his playing days at Lidoda Duvha.
Masuku made the astonishing accusations on the popular football YouTube podcast #OffthePitchwithTK.
The dribbling wizard spent five years at Leopards before joining Orlando Pirates in 2012. In one of the extracts of the podcast, the Soweto-born midfielder said the players were forced to use muthi during a game against Bucs, and told that it would make them strong.
“They wanted to cut us with razor blades on our legs and feet and said they are making us strong, because the Pirates [fixture] is a big game,” said Masuku.
“I told them that I was not going to do that, and [mentioned that] I’d rather be out of the team, because I do not want muthi in my body. Raymond Monama and Tiyani Mabunda supported me and refused too.
“When I looked at the floor, there were razor blades, toothpicks, blood and a sangoma who wanted to smear us with s*#!t. I said to the chairman, I am not doing this. He asked me if I was serious, and I said no thank you, I am not doing it.
“He called the [team] manager and I told him to take me out of the team. Mabunda was next, and it was the same story, and we were the key players.
“The players got into the ground and in the first 20 minutes, the score was 3-0 with Pirates leading. The guys could not kick the ball, their legs were sore. They could not see, they were dizzy and crying.
“We looked at the chairman and he was regretful. He said forget about everything, I am sorry I made a mistake.
“Then we played against Ajax Cape Town and beat Ajax 3-0, and he [the chairman] realised that he wasted his money [by hiring a sangoma for muthi purposes] the previous week.”
An angry Thidiela said he is not taking the accusations lying down.
“The boy is down and out. It is 11 years later and he is talking about blood and sangomas. That is nonsense. He just wants some money by using my name, because the world has turned against him,” said Thidiela.
“These accusations are malicious and someone will have to account. There was not even the decency to ask for my side of the story. We will meet in court.”
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