Johannesburg – The seemingly idyllic marriage between veteran actor Sello Maake kaNcube and publicist Pearl Mbewe has crumbled, culminating in a dramatic scene involving protection orders and accusations of infidelity and abuse.
The once-celebrated couple, who married in a lavish ceremony in 2021, are now embroiled in a bitter public dispute, with both parties levelling serious allegations against each other.
The latest chapter in their unraveling began on Saturday, when Maake kaNcube served Mbewe with an interim protection order. However, the situation escalated when he also served a similar order on Lebo Keswa, a friend and client of Mbewe and a prominent podcaster.
Mbewe's reaction was immediate and defiant: “She took the protection order, read it and threw it on the floor saying she is not going to sign it. Then told me she will ‘show me a ghost’,” Maake kaNcube recounted to TshisaLIVE.
Mbewe herself confirmed the incident to TshisaLIVE, adding: “How do I sign for something I haven't read? I said I’m not signing sh*t. They opened the door because he has my key and I went into shock, only to see it's him. I’m out of my mind thinking it must be a dream. My only fault was that I didn't want to sign something I do not understand. They gave me three protection orders with wrong people's names. Then they gave me the third one with my name.”
The protection orders stem from allegations of verbal and electronic attacks, according to Maake kaNcube. He told City Press, "I sought to protect myself against the two [women] as they have been constantly attacking me verbally and electronically. Realising that they might seek public sympathy by claiming I am the abusive one, I decided to go to the authorities."
He presented City Press with WhatsApp messages and voice notes allegedly containing snide remarks from Keswa about him. Keswa, however, vehemently denies the accusations, stating on X (formerly Twitter): “@sellomkn, you have the audacity to come to my home with cops and tell my estate manager that you want to serve me with a protection order. I don’t know where you live, and I’ve never bothered you. Fotsk Msunu!”
She further added: “A protection order for your bloody insecurity because you think I fck your wife. So is the order for your wife’s vag**a?”
Keswa also refutes claims of a romantic relationship with Mbewe, stating, “I do not have a sexual relationship with Pearl, I have a working relationship. Sello is sick, very delusional. On my protection order, no one has spoken to me, and I have not been served. I have no proof of it.”
The couple's relationship has been fraught with public disagreements and accusations. In April this year, amid divorce rumours, Mbewe took to social media to defend her husband, writing: "How I wish people could just give you a break! In what may seem like me coming to your defence, the truth is that being with you has elevated me to heights I never thought possible."
She added, “I will forever love you and your spirit shall and will remain unshaken. YOU ARE A GOOD MAN. Father, son and a sibling.”
Maake kaNcube re-shared this post, expressing his hope that the truth would prevail. However, he later revealed to City Press that the marriage had been over for more than a year.
"I’ve given this relationship everything I had. But I have now reached the end of my tether. I want out. And I also want the public to know how I have been abused not only by my ex-wife but also her friend" he said.
The conflict between Maake kaNcube and Keswa intensified after Mbewe hinted on social media about an upcoming interview with Keswa on her podcast, My Journey. Maake kaNcube stated, “I told her I did not want my brand to be associated with Lebo’s,” a comment that sparked a furious response from Keswa: “What brand has he got? He forgets that it was I who introduced him to Pearl at my wedding. He also forgets how Pearl resuscitated his f**k up career.”
Keswa then shared a strongly worded message she sent to Mbewe, expressing her refusal to be associated with Maake kaNcube and his "abusive deadbeat" behaviour.
The accusations extend beyond infidelity. Keswa claims to have witnessed Mbewe with facial bruises after alleged assaults by Maake kaNcube. She stated that she had previously kept silent to protect Mbewe, but is now prepared to share her knowledge of the situation. Maake kaNcube denies these allegations, suggesting that Mbewe's injuries were self-inflicted or accidental. He also alleges that he sustained a hand injury after Mbewe bit him during a dispute over his car keys. Mbewe dismissed his account, stating she has proof and witnesses to support her version of events.
The couple's separation began last July, when Maake kaNcube asked Mbewe to leave his home in Dube, Soweto, until he completed lobola payments and they moved into their house in Blue Valley, Centurion. A planned lobola ceremony in September was disrupted due to late arrival of Maake kaNcube's family, which he cites as the final straw. He described living "a life of hell" during their marriage, alleging that Mbewe controlled their social media presence, portraying a false image of a happy marriage.
Mbewe, however, insists that she is entitled to half of Maake kaNcube’s assets due to their accrual marriage, and has requested a fair division of assets during the divorce proceedings. The legal battle is far from over, with both parties determined to present their versions of events to the court and the public. The once-celebrated union has become a cautionary tale, highlighting the complexities and challenges of even the most high-profile relationships.
