'I went through a lot': Pinky Girl reflects on her fallout with Bonang

The South African

22-04-2025

Reality TV star and influencer Tebogo Mekgwe, popularly known as Pinky Girl, has finally broken her silence on the fallout with her famous cousin, media personality Bonang Matheba.
The two were once one of Mzansi's most beloved cousin duos—travelling together, appearing side-by-side on Being Bonang , and serving all the cousin goals. But things took a turn when their relationship soured publicly, with jabs exchanged on social media.
In January 2023, Bonang told her X followers that Pinky had allegedly been fired from her team for not being vaccinated. In a recent interview on Reason TV with Troy Malenge, Pinky Girl revealed what really happened between them.
When asked directly about the fallout, she explained:
'There's nothing that happened. I went through a lot of emotions in 2023. As people, we grow and take on different responsibilities, so that's what I understand—whether it's family, relationships, or friendships. You don't have to judge or force things. People don't need to act a certain way just to get you—everyone has their own responsibilities.'
She continued, 'So don't expect too much—just understand that we're all living our lives. Families have differences. I was brought up in my own family, and my cousin was brought up in hers. Yes, we're cousins, even like sisters, but our backgrounds are different.'
Pinky Girl reflected on their childhood bond, saying, 'I grew up in Pretoria. Bonang and I met through visiting during school holidays, spending time together while growing up, and visiting my grandmother in Rustenberg. She'd come to visit us, and I'd go to her dad's in Mafikeng during the holidays. That's how we built our relationship as cousins.'
But with time, things changed: 'Now we've grown up—she does her own thing, and I do mine. I have my own parents, and she has hers. So cousins are cousins—it's not like we do everything together. For me and her, it was always that understanding: I'm from Pretoria, and she's from her side.'
In a moment of honesty, Pinky added, 'But now, there's no such thing as family—especially, you see it when you're growing up. It's not easy. People get busy, and you must remember your responsibility. We've got something different… whatever. And I don't know.'
The Being Bonang star also shared that she had suffered personal loss, having lost her uncle, grandmother, and father, and had been focusing on healing from the grief.
Addressing Bonang's claim that she was fired over a visa issue, Pinky clarified: 'The problem with the visa was that there was no communication earlier that we would apply for a visa. You cannot do a visa now… There was no communication that we will visa, so prepare a visa in the next 1–2 weeks.'
According to the DJ, she would have appreciated better communication and more time to plan. Pinky also revealed that the trip was not complimentary, adding another layer to the misunderstanding.
DO YOU THINK THEY WILL EVER MEND THEIR RELATIONSHIP?
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