The much-awaited launch of Zola Mahobe’s book was cancelled at the 11th hour after a Soweto man accused one of the co-authors of allegedly stealing the book’s manuscript, which he claims belongs to him.
The memoir, which chronicles the life of former Mamelodi Sundowns’s flamboyant owner, the late Zola “Mr Cool” Mahobe, was supposed to have been launched in Rosebank, north of Joburg, on Thursday night. It was, however, cancelled abruptly after Sipho Lesley Mahlaba and his family confronted the co-authors Don Lepati and Nikolaos Kirkinis at the venue and accused Lepati of having stolen the book’s manuscript from him.
After the dramatic confrontation, Kirkinis had a brief discussion with Lepati and the publishing company’s representatives before a decision was taken to cancel the launch.
Kirkinis, who wrote Ghetto Ninja: The Junior Khanye Story and The curse of Teko Modise then told guests the launch had been cancelled due to “unforeseen circumstances”. The cancellation occurred a few hours after Mahlaba, who is fondly known as Seaman in football circles, explained how Lepati, his relative, allegedly stole the manuscript from him about three years ago.
Lepati confirmed that the launch was cancelled because Mahlaba and his family threatened to disrupt the event. He refuted Mahlaba’s assertions that he stole his manuscript and urged him to go to court if he so wished.
“He approached me and asked me to write a book about Zola Mahobe and I spent six years writing it. He later approached me and said because the book was his concept, he wants it shared, but I won’t pay him because I don’t work that way,” said Lepati.
“I had planned to include Mahlaba in the documentary I’m planning to produce and thank him for his contribution to the book but after the threat of disruption, I’ve changed my mind. I have spoken to my publisher and we will launch the book virtually to avoid what happened.”
Mahlaba, who was raised by Mahobe, said he met Lepati at a ceremony, which was held at the home of his wife’s cousin and solicited his advice about the book he was writing.
“His younger brother’s wife and my wife are cousins. We met at his younger brother’s house near Bedfordview in Joburg about four years ago when there was a ceremony. When we were celebrating, I pulled him aside and asked him to advise me about the book I was busy writing because I had seen him writing something about the Democratic Alliance (DA),” said Mahlaba.
He said he told Lepati that his son, Katie Mahlaba, was assisting in writing the book and they were about to complete it, but after a while, Lepati asked him to hand the manuscript overto him to edit it. “Acting on trust, I gave him the manuscript to edit but he disappeared and never came back to give me its edited version,” said Mahlaba.
He said before releasing the book, Lepati visited him at his Chiawelo home in Soweto and asked him to locate Mahobe’s ex-lover, the late Snowy Moshoeshoe, and interview her to include her version in the book. After their meeting, he said, Lepati dropped him off in Pimville, Soweto, and drove off. “That was the last time I saw him.”
Mahlaba said he was shocked when he received a call from former Sundowns captain Mike Ntombela informing him that Lepati had released the book about Mahobe and also asked him if he knew him.
“I told him Lepati was my relative who took my manuscript for editing and I was shocked he had released the book behind my back. I feel betrayed. I tried to phone him several times, but he ignored my phone calls,” Mahlaba said.
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