SOLLY Molepo may be in hot water after allegedly intimidating fellow artist Nozipho Nguse-Dlamini.
“If I get one death threat because that’s what you’re good at, then you’re dead. I’ll kill you. I won’t even waste time,” he said in the voice note while also blaming Nozipho for actor Patrick Shai’s death.
Colonel Dimakatso Sello confirmed to Daily Sun that a case of intimidation had been opened at Joburg Central Police Station but no one had been arrested yet.
Dimakatso further said they have not arrested Solly because “it is an intimidation case, therefore investigations have to be made, the docket be brought before the Senior State Prosecutor for decision to prosecute or not.”
Solly allegedly sent the voice note to a WhatsApp group, blaming Nozipho for actor Patrick Shai’s suicide.
“You’re the recipient of money to do wellness in the country. I spoke to you when we were doing the Queeneth Ndaba Wellness Centre where we would be taking care of the problems of people like Patrick Shai,” he said.
He accused her of being greedy and said: “I’m not going to insult you because I’m decent. Everybody knows about you but they’re scared of you.”
Solly called her a big fake.
“If you don’t step down, I’ll mobilise a march or even write a petition against you. Patrick Shai is dead because of you and your greed,” he ranted.
Nozipho told the SunTeam she opened a case as she was scared.
“I don’t know what he’s planning and I don’t feel safe,” she said.
Solly said the video posted by Shai was a cry for help. “Signs of depression were there. Nozipho, as the champion of the Silapha programme, should have intervened and referred him to a mental institution,” he said.
When Daily Sun spoke to Solly, he said he stood by his words.
A number of associations for artists joined hands to defend Nozipho.
They released a statement which said the message in the voice note was hate speech and gender-based violence.
Meanwhile, family, friends and fans are expected to gather at the Joburg Market Theatre today, 27 January, to pay tribute and celebrate the life of the veteran actor, Shai, who’s believed to have taken his own life on Saturday morning, 23 January. A funeral service will be held at the Soweto Theatre on 29 January.