Latest news with #Mabotja
IOL News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Melanie Bala opens up about motherhood and healing on 'The Relebogile Mabotja' podcast
With an illustrious career spanning over three decades, Bala rarely does interviews, but her conversation with Mabotja was a poignant exploration of womanhood and the struggles that often accompany it. In a recent episode of " The Relebogile Mabotja " podcast, veteran broadcaster Melanie Bala shared her journey through motherhood, personal loss and the pursuit of authenticity with host Relebogile Mabotja. From early beginnings at Bop TV to her current position at Metro FM, Bala has been a steadfast voice in South African media, but behind the microphone lies a story steeped in love, growth and the painful process of letting go. In this episode, she discusses the pressures of societal expectations surrounding motherhood, saying: "I think I let go, years ago, about what the perfect mother is, according to society, standards, family, magazine, blogs. "When I eventually let that go, it was incredibly freeing, and even now, my kids are teenagers, we have very open and honest conversations like if I've had a crappy day ... It's saying to them that I am human to, I am not the super mom. "Our parents' generation did it very differently; my mom was the ultimate homemaker. It took a long time for me to get over that model." Delving deeper, Bala opens up about the emotional complexities she faced during her divorce from renowned musician Zwai Bala. "No one wakes up today and decides that their marriage is ending; it's always a long time coming. In the process leading up to making the final decision that you're getting divorced, I think there's a part of you that starts to let go, so a lot of the grieving happens through that process. "Then, when the divorce happens, it's like 'Oh okay, this is different', and then it's a beginning of a different process of how do I navigate life without this person that I've been with for such a long time. "Again, it's giving yourself grace, you going to make mistakes, you going to mess up, but you give yourself grace to figure it out, particularly when you share children."
IOL News
4 days ago
- Politics
- IOL News
ANC Peter Mokaba regional conference, where chairs were thrown amidst fistfights, may get a rerun
The executive mayor of Polokwane and newly elected ANC Peter Mokaba Region chairperson John Mpe may have to challenge for his position during a possible rerun of a recent conference. Image: supplied The ANC Peter Mokaba Regional Conference in Limpopo may face a rerun after supporters of Mamedupi Teffo, the ANC Women's League Provincial Chairperson and Capricorn District Mayor, launched a complaint against the chaotic conference. The conference, which was held at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium, saw Polokwane Mayor John Mpe reelected as chairperson unopposed, despite allegations of irregularities and internal disputes. Teffo was to challenge Mpe, but did not in protest against the alleged irregularities. According to documents shared on social media, 31 branches were allegedly disqualified in a final dispute report, leaving only 74 qualifying branches - below the required 70% threshold of 79 branches. Delegates who raised these issues argued that the conference should not have proceeded without addressing outstanding disputes. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Some delegates accused the Regional Task Team (RTT) of allowing "bogus" delegates into the venue, leading to verbal disputes that escalated into physical confrontations. Former ANC Youth League official in the province Thabo Mabotja, who supports Teffo, is leading the charge insisting that the elections were not legitimate. He and other officials have contacted ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula, filing a complaint against the alleged regularities. The group has called for a conference rerun to be held within 30 days. Mbalula has not yet responded to the complaints. Mabotja claimed that the conference did not meet the necessary quorum to continue with elections and announced plans to submit a formal complaint to the ANC's provincial and national structures. "We believe these elections were irregular and premature. We will be engaging the provincial and national leadership on this matter," Mabotja said. Other ANC members in Mabotja's camp vowed to take the matter further, saying they are considering legal action with some claiming that ANC provincial secretary Reuben Madadzhe was biased because he was aligned to Mpe. ANC Limpopo spokesperson Jimmy Machaka confirmed that the party in the province was awaiting communication from Mbalula as to what decision he had taken. "We are awaiting the decision of the ANC Secretary General, Fikile Mbalula, regarding the outcomes of the conference or the submitted disputes," said Machaka. However, Madadzhe has since legitimised the conference, despite chaotic scenes and allegations of irregularities. "We stand by that decision that the conference is not bogus, and is a legitimate conference of the ANC. You will never have a bogus conference of the ANC with four PEC officials attending the conference," Madadzhe said.
News24
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- News24
Reality TV star Ratile says she experienced drama for years before it was public
Though they presented a united front for two seasons on The Mommy Club, Ratile Mabotja, famously known as Ratile Mabitsela, and her late estranged husband Lehlogonolo Mabitsela were putting out a lot of fires behind closed doors. When he died by suicide in February, the two were separated and in the process of divorce. Before his death, during separation and after his death, there were claims made about the former couple. Many flocked to her interview with Lungelo Mdletshe on the Engineer Your Life podcast. This was the first time she had an interview after the death of Mabitsela. Names were not mentioned in the interview, and neither the presenter nor the beauty queen were specific about situations. However, there are those who know that, since her The Mommy Club fame in 2023, Mabotja's private life and battles have been made public. The drama followed her till her estranged husband's death and burial. As cagey as she was in the interview – and some subjects were avoided, with the host saying it was too early – some things were addressed and she opened up about her loss. Speaking about the loss of her estranged husband, Mabotja said the public had showered her with love and support during the difficult time. Though she presented a strong front, she had the nation behind her at the time she felt as if she had to deal with the worst. Asked about her recovery, the beauty queen said she was healing every day, adding that she and her children were in therapy, which they attended once a week. "[The loss] left me traumatised. More trauma than anything. Having to also feel the absence. We would have conversations with the kids. Now we constantly have to revisit it. It's a journey," she said. She explained: He will always be the father of my children, whether we were married [or] divorced. There will not be any other person who will say now this is the father. I really do think that he did mean a lot to my children, and there are certain things that need parents. I don't want to see my children break down because [dad is not there]. Mabotja said she was not the only one who had lost someone; a mother lost a son, people lost a brother and uncle. She hoped that they would support one another because what they had in common was grief, however, her family came through for her. "I am grateful for my family, each and every one of them. There are two of his aunts who came through proper, and I am grateful for them. The people that mattered showed up." In the interview, she hailed her mother as the most supportive mother, who has always been there for her. Speaking about the drama before and after the death of her estranged husband, Mabotja said that was the negativity she had witnessed over the years, but it was only being made public now. She said this was not new for her, but she constantly chose to walk away for her peace. She said: Sometimes winning a fight means walking away and being okay with walking away. If you have to get in the mud, it's probably going to hurt you more than it hurts the other person. Even though her name was dragged, she said she did not need apologies from anyone. Having gone through all the pain, the businesswoman said she still believed in love. THE MOMMY CLUB The interview touched on the two seasons the reality TV star spent with The Mommy Club on Showmax. Just like the current cast members, the former The Mommy Club cast member pointed out longer hours of shooting. Mabotja said the show took her away from her children, and she felt guilty for not spending quality time with them. She said every time the show aired, she would be anxious because some things she shot were omitted during editing. The former Mrs South Africa contestant shared about the new chapter of her life, saying she was taking up mentoring and pageant coaching, especially for young people in townships.
