Bruce Ndlovu, [email protected]
KINGDOM Blue founder Brilliant Ncube and his estranged wife, Belinda Magabadela Ncube, appear to be at loggerheads yet again, trading allegations of domestic violence and infidelity that allegedly marred their relationship.
What was meant to be a celebratory week for Ncube, after he proposed to his third and newest wife, Ugandan Flavia Nakibuuka, turned sour when Magabadela alleged that she had been brutalised during her time with the mogul.
In a since-deleted social media post, Magabadela appeared to break what had, until then, seemed to be an unspoken ceasefire between the estranged couple this week, doubling down on her earlier allegations that she had suffered abuse at the hands of the businessman.
Accompanied by photographs and videos which she said showed injuries sustained during the alleged assault by her husband, Magabadela pleaded for privacy, saying no one entered a marriage expecting to make a hasty retreat.
“I know what I went through. I know the nights I had to gather my own strength, wipe my own tears, and remind myself that I would eventually make it through. I don’t need everyone to understand my story because I lived it,” she wrote on her Facebook page.
“And as strong as I have become, I would never wish some of the things I endured on another person, because not everyone may have the strength to survive them and still come out with a smile.
“So judge the smile if you want, but never mistake it for a life without pain. Sometimes the brightest smiles belong to people who have survived the darkest chapters. I survived. I learned. I grew.
And above everything else, I protected what was left of my dignity.”
Magabadela’s post followed similar allegations she made when the two announced their split last month. On that occasion, she claimed that she had suffered mental anguish from her time with
Ncube, as he was fond of sleeping with some of his female relations.
Her latest allegations were met with a strongly worded rebuttal from Ncube, who accused his wife of trying to tarnish his image, arguing that she had never opened a police case over the alleged abuse.
According to Ncube, Magabadela’s injuries were sustained at the hands of a man whom he later discovered she had allegedly been having an affair with. He said she had initially told him that she had been assaulted following a road-rage incident.
“These are allegations that are meant to tarnish my reputation,” he told Saturday Chronicle. “The truth of the matter is that some time back
, my wife was badly beaten by a man, who she claimed was angry because she was not observing road rules.
“I was surprised that someone would beat a woman up that badly for such a minor offence. She then identified the car on another occasion when I was with her and I chased it down and blocked it so we could get the driver arrested.
“That guy was from Esigodini and he had his wife in the car. I managed to get him to the police station because we had already opened a case of assault. We went to court the next day. I was therefore surprised afterwards when I learnt that she had lost all the relevant documents, including the medical report, which would have helped us prosecute that guy.”
Ncube said it was only later that he discovered what he described as the extent of his wife’s alleged infidelity.
“It was only later on that I found out that these two had always known each other. It turned out that they had always been dating or whatever. So, in light of that, I find it very sad that when someone is out of the marriage, they then try to tarnish the image of the other party in the union,” he said.
The acrimonious split comes only a few months after Ncube, who is a polygamist, publicly unveiled his third wife, 22-year-old Ugandan Nakibuuka. While the union of Ncube and Nakibuuka was an open secret, on Sunday the businessman got on bended knee and proposed to his latest sweetheart at the Kampala Marriott Hotel during her 22nd birthday celebrations. His first wife,
Sibonguthando Ncube, was also in attendance.
Ncube revealed he had decided to end their relationship after learning that his wife was frequenting nightspots in the City of Kings in his absence. He also alleged that she was battling mental health problems.
“I left her in Bulawayo, as a person that I knew was not feeling well. I went to see her with my first wife and I left her in bed. I was surprised to see people sending me pictures and telling me my wife is dancing around in Bulawayo in some bars. Those are the things that forced me to say, enough is enough,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ncube said there was still a possibility that the pair could talk things out in the future, although, for now, he had taken custody of their children.
“We are not talking and the only time we communicate is when we talk about the kids because we do have children together,” he said.
Contacted for comment yesterday, Magabadela said she ended the relationship because of alleged physical abuse, daily threats and other disturbing allegations.
“I tried many times to get help, but he will get away with it because he has money,” she said
She further alleged that Ncube had taken their children and blocked all communication, leaving her unable to speak to or check on their welfare.
“Right now, he has taken away my kids and made sure that he blocks communication. He told me that if I want my kids, I must go to court and he will make sure that I don’t win the kids,” she alleged.
The woman said she was particularly distressed by the separation from her youngest child, who is two years old, and claimed that the children were being cared for by domestic workers.
“He is not even there; he is gallivanting with the new girlfriend in Uganda, my kids are with maids and I can’t even communicate with them,” she said.
