Rea Gopane apologizes to Bonang Matheba for cocaine use allegations – but still wants the R500k

Bonang Matheba has received the apology she demanded from podcaster Rea Gopane.

The 22-year-old man who accused media personality Bonang Matheba of introducing musician Kiernan ‘AKA’ Forbes to cocaine has apologised to her and retracted the claims.

On 9 May, Rea Gopane and partner Blvck Steph on podcast Everything SA Music recorded an episode containing the allegations while talking about Forbes’s fiancé, Anele Tembe.

“Scoop told us that AKA is on [cocaine] and Bonang is the one that got him into cocaine,” he said in the video circulated widely on social media. He was referring to a confidential conversation they had with actor Siyabonga Ngwekazi, also known as Scoop.

On Sunday evening, Matheba, through a letter from her legal team said the claims by the podcaster “were defamatory, hurtful and were deliberately intended to humiliate my client and undermine her reputation.”

Matheba’s legal team ordered Gopane to apologise across all his social media platforms and pay R500,000 in damages by 4 pm on Monday. If it is not done, Matheba could apply for an interdict against him.

She has sent a defamation proceeding letter, against Gopane by her attorney Thomas Wilks.

@reagopane pic.twitter.com/Uy1mws0f6g

— Bonang Matheba 👑 (@bonang_m) May 16, 2021

“In the context of what is being discussed in the video clip, this defamatory allegation was exacerbated by the shocking insinuation that the death of AKA’s girlfriend Anele (Nellie) Tembe was due to AKA’s alleged use of cocaine,” says the letter.

Wilks says the allegation was defamatory “intended to humiliate” Bonang and her reputation, adding that the allegations are false. Bonang said she contacted Gopane when the video was first released and gave him the opportunity to retract his statements and apologise.

“You expressly undertook to do so on the same day,” says Bonang about her interactions with Gopane who apparently did not fulfil his promise. Bonang claims Gopane instead “went into public hiding” and didn’t respond to her calls or messages.

The apology came with Gopane also releasing a video apologising to AKA and Scoop Makhathini. Gopane says he has “learnt from this mistake”.

I’m truly sorry 🙏🏾 @bonang_m @scoopmakhathini @akaworldwide pic.twitter.com/u7xetxUUvF

— Rea Gopane 🇿🇦 (@reagopane) May 17, 2021

Bonang was happy with the apology but did not take it lightly when people thought she was bullying the young man. Gopane is a rising star and 22 years old. Some people thought Bonang’s actions were too harsh and she was acting like a bully.

She responded: “I’ve dealt with heads of states darling…..a 22-year-old thinks this is a game?! Not on my watch. Not anymore!”

Bonang added the allegations were hurtful and not funny at all.

In the letter Bonang also demanded R500,000 in damages within 10 days. She still wants that money.