A Katlehong resident in Gauteng is alleging that media personality Molemo "Jub Jub" Maarohanye has left him drowning in debt and grappling with severe emotional stress after failing to repay money he claims to have lent the presenter in October of last year.
Likhona Sukume alleges that Maarohanye approached him seeking financial assistance for an event he was planning. However, Sukume now claims that Maarohanye has failed to honour his repayment promises, leaving him in a precarious financial situation.
Sukume recounted the events leading to the alleged debt, explaining that he first met Maarohanye in October when the presenter was looking for a new phone. Their initial interaction eventually led to a business proposition where Maarohanye would promote a gadget store.
"I think because he was at the shop, and he thought ‘these people have money’," Sukume explained. "He said ‘guys I do want to work with you, I need R300 000 to finance my event’, but the guys [owners of the company] refused to give him the money. I felt sorry for him when he said he needed R50 000 to pay [an artist]. I told him I didn’t have money, the only money I had was on a credit card, and it accumulates [interest] if not paid back."
The event in question is Lyta Motlakase, for which Maarohanye serves as an ambassador. The event took place on 24 December at the Thulamahashe New Stadium in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga.
Sukume claims that Maarohanye's persuasive nature led him to extend financial assistance, despite his own limited resources. He alleges that he initially provided R20,000 from his credit card and borrowed an additional R20,000 from an acquaintance.
"I told the Uyajola 9/9 host that he trusted him with the money and that he needed it back to avoid it accumulating interest," Sukume said, highlighting the urgency of the situation. He further alleges that Maarohanye promised to repay double the amount he was lent.
Sukume claims that Maarohanye initially painted a promising picture of his ability to repay the debt. "There was a time he called me, telling me that he was with [a former president] saying things were looking good, and he shared pictures [of him and the former president]," Sukume stated. "He then asked for more money, and I promised to send it, but I ended up switching my phone off and ignored him."
Despite Sukume's efforts to distance himself from the situation, he alleges that Maarohanye continued to pressure him for further financial assistance. "Even though Sukume switched his phone off, he could not ignore the messages he woke up to where the presenter allegedly called him out for the disrespect of making him wait for money that was not coming."
Sukume claims that he eventually relented and sent Maarohanye an additional R10,000, enticed by the promise of a significant return. "After being convinced by Maarohanye, Sukume said he sent the R10 000 because he was told that his money would come back as R100 000, he said."
However, Sukume alleges that the promised returns never materialised, and he was forced to plead with Maarohanye to simply repay the original amount without interest. "However, Sukume said he ended up pleading with Maarohanye to just pay back the money he took from him without interest because he was giving him the run-around."
Sukume explained his decision to trust Maarohanye with such a significant amount of money, despite their limited acquaintance. "When Jub Jub speaks, you believe him, and he is also a celebrity," Sukume stated. "When he spoke about the event and showed me pictures, I could believe that he was an expert in this, and he is an entertainer. I am from ekasi, so I believed in him, only to find out that he had been getting money from other people using the same modus operandi."
Sukume claims that his attempts to secure repayment have been met with a series of excuses and delays. "On 26 December, he asked the musician about the money, and he said he was waiting for Computicket to pay. At the time, he was being pursued by the bank, asking about its money and the card being negative."
Sukume alleges that Maarohanye offered a variety of explanations for his inability to repay the debt. "The following excuse from the musician was that the event did not go well, so he would unlock his savings," Sukume said. "The other thing he said was that he would pay the money from his salary. The next thing he told me was that Moja Love had to pay him. He then sent proof of payment saying it was from Moja Love to him, and he deleted it, but I had taken a screenshot. I told him that I had registered for varsity and that I needed to pay for fees, a laptop and other things. After that, I told him that I needed money for surgery. He came with a different story."
Sukume claims that he even informed Maarohanye about his urgent need for medical treatment, hoping to expedite the repayment process. "In January, Sukume also told the musician that he had to undergo a platelet-rich plasma treatment and he needed money, but he still didn’t receive his money, he said."
Desperate for a resolution, Sukume contacted Moja Love, hoping to enlist their assistance in recovering the funds. "Sukume said he ended up calling Moja Love this month because the bank had threatened to take him to a credit bureau, and his financial needs were piling up."
However, Sukume claims that Moja Love declined to intervene in the matter. "The frustrated complainant said the person he spoke to told him that the channel could not get involved; he must deal with Maarohanye directly. He said right after that, the media personality sent him R15 000, and it all went to the bank he owed."
Sukume believes that his persistent efforts and threats to expose Maarohanye's alleged debt to others played a role in securing the partial repayment. "Sukume said he believed that calling Moja Love and sending threats to Maarohanye, saying he knew of other people he owed and would expose him, helped in getting the money."
Frustrated by the lack of progress and feeling that he had been deceived, Sukume decided to pursue legal action. "After failing to get his money back as agreed, Sukume felt like Maarohanye committed theft under false pretences, and hearing that he had allegedly done the same to other people, he approached the small claims court."
Sukume attempted to serve a letter of demand to Maarohanye at his Johannesburg home on multiple occasions. "He first attempted to deliver the letter at the Ke Kopa Tshwarelo hitmaker’s home in Johannesburg on 11 February, but he could not find him, he said. He attempted going there again on Tuesday and still failed."
Unable to locate Maarohanye, Sukume resorted to social media to publicise his efforts. "On not finding him this week, Sukume took to social media to post the video of himself and the police outside the presenter’s house."
Sukume claims that this action provoked an angry response from Maarohanye. "That act infuriated Maarohanye, said Sukume, who shared a recorded call wherein Maarohanye was not happy that his house was posted on social media."
In the recorded call, a voice alleged to be Maarohanye can be heard addressing Sukume's boss, saying: "He must decide, do I still have the 14 days, [or] does he want to go to court because he is busy with the social media thing? With social media, I’ve been called a rapist, I’ve been called a murderer, and I don’t care about social media. Ask him whether he wants his money or does he want to go to court. He must apologise, or else he will be very sorry for posting my house."
Sukume claims that the entire ordeal has taken a significant toll on his well-being. "Sukume said this has caused him financial and emotional distress, adding that he did not feel safe, and he was afraid the musician would seek revenge."
At the time of publication, Maarohanye could not be reached for comment despite attempts to contact him via phone and text. An email was also sent to his team seeking a response to the allegations.
