Popular reality TV star Oratile Mabotja and her in-laws were involved in a Muvhango-type drama after the untimely death of her husband, Elias Mabitsela.
Mabitsela, a successful businessman, committed suicide at his luxury home in the ritzy suburb of Saddlebrook Estate, northern Joburg, by shooting himself in the bedroom of their mansion last week.
A family friend, who did not want to be identified for fear of reprisals, said the drama started when Mabotja’s mother-in-law and her daughter Lauren Mabitsela arrived at the posh mansion shortly after his suicide.
They, alleged the family friend, took his cellphones and his luxury wristwatch without the beauty queen’s permission.
This sparked an argument, which erupted in front of the police who came to the scene, between Mabotja and her in-laws. After temperatures cooled, Mabotja’s in-laws left with her estranged husband’s cellphones and watch.
The friend further alleged that the tension moved a higher gear a few days later when Mabotja’s in-laws rejected her decision to bury her husband at the Fourways Memorial Park.
“She felt that Fourways is nearer and would be convenient for his children if they wanted to visit the grave of their father but the in-laws said they wanted him to be buried at Zandfontein Cemetery in Atteridgeville (Pretoria),” said the friend.
Mabotja stood her ground and insisted that Mabitsela should be buried next to the home of his children, saying that as his wife she was entitled to make the final decision.
After the ping pong, said the friend, they then asked her if they could bury him at Waterfall Cemetery, in Midrand.
“But they went there to do an inspection; they found that some of the graves were caving in, and there were bottles of cool drinks scattered all over the graveyard, so that was a turn-off,” said the friend.
The friend said Mabitsela’s family then asked Mabotja again to inter his body at the Zandfontein Cemetery but she refused and insisted that Fourways should be his final resting place.
As if that was not enough, said the friend, Mabitsela’s family then asked for his funeral to be held last weekend but she stood her ground and insisted that he be buried on Thursday.
“She wanted to bury this man two Tuesdays ago, but they stopped her and said he should be buried this past weekend. But she said she could only compromise and bury him two Thursdays ago and no further than that,” said the friend.
As a result of the disagreements over the date, the friend alleged, Mabotja’s mother-in-law told her she would not attend the funeral because she had a doctor’s appointment on Thursday. But she ended up attending, said the friend.
The friend also alleged that Mabotja’s in-laws also stopped her and his associates from organising a memorial service for her husband.
“There was never a memorial service; they did not want it,” said the friend.
The friend added that Mabotja only agreed for her husband’s funeral service to be held in Atteridgeville church because they told her that it was his wish for it to be held there.
“So, the service was held there, and the body was moved from there to Fourways,” said the friend.
The friend said Mabotja, who stars in the Showmax show Mommy Club, felt unsafe going to the funeral service in Atteridgeville, saying her relatives asked her to hire bodyguards. But she went there without the bodyguards, said the friend.
Mabotja ignored our phone calls and text messages. Lauren said: “You seem to have a clue of what is happening in my family, so go back to your source and get more information. We have no comment to make.”
