Social butterfly Zodwa Wabantu and her boyfriend have shocked all and sundry when they blitzed into the Randburg magistrate’s court on Friday to apply for protection orders against each other.
Two associates close to the entertainer said Zodwa and her on-and-off boyfriend, Olefile Ricardo Mpudi, arrived in court simultaneously and dashed to the domestic violence offices.
Zodwa’s close associate, who did not want to be named for fear of victimisation, said the club dancer wants a protection order because Ricardo is refusing to vacate her house in Fourways, in the north of Johannesburg, after she dumped him.
The club entertainer kicked Ricardo to the kerb after she lost interest in him, said the associate, noting that the love-struck bloke is refusing to let go of Zodwa.
“Zodwa said she had been asking Ricardo to vacate her house but he refused and told her that he is going nowhere. She said she did not want to leave him [alone] in the house when she goes to her gigs, because she no longer trusts him,” said the associate.
Another associate, who also did not want to be identified, confirmed that the lovebirds have acrimoniously broken up and had sought court intervention.
“Zodwa told us that she arrived in court and asked the officials to help her apply for a restraint order against her boyfriend. She said her boyfriend also arrived there, he too asked the court officials to help him apply for the same order against Zodwa,” according to the second associate.
“The [court] officials gave them the application forms to fill and [asked them to] bring the forms back on Monday. Once they are both granted these interim protection orders, they need to come back and state why the [protection] orders should not be made permanent at a date to be determined by the court.”
Zodwa confirmed to Sunday World that she has gone to court to apply for a restraint order against Ricardo.
“They gave me a form and gave him a form too to fill. I have not completed the form, because after returning home from court, I slept because I was tired. I will complete the form and submit it on Monday,” said Zodwa.
She added that she is concerned that Ricardo is refusing to vacate her house despite imploring him to do so. “He is here, even now. He is in another room and I’m in another room [of the house].”
She said she is still baffled why Ricardo chose to follow her to court and also apply for a restraint order against her, because she has not violated him. “I guess I will only know when the [restraint] order is served on me.”
Ricardo was not available for comment at the time of publishing.
