WHEN she was offered R100 for lobola, Helen Ralepelle refused.
However, the family of the man who had proposed was not happy and according to Helen, they threatened her with a magic spell.
The 35-year-old from Dube in Soweto said not long after the threat was made, her son Matome (17), who was two years old at the time, stopped talking and she later learned he was autistic.
Helen said her son broke everything in the house and banged his head against walls, which meant she had to stay home to keep an eye on him.
She said her troubles started when her parents separated and she was sent to live with relatives in Tzaneen, Limpopo, who treated her like a slave.
“When I was only 17, my relatives forced me to date a man who was a known gangster and I eventually got pregnant,” she claimed.
Sophonia Ralepelle, Helen’s mum, told Daily Sun: “When Helen moved to Limpopo, times were very tough because I had just separated from her father and I was looking for a job.”
However, Motjatji Masemola denied offering R100 lobola.
She said: “We had a disagreement because she wanted to move to Joburg and leave her child behind. We wanted her to stay in Limpopo so we could help each other raise him. We are also prepared to help Matome financially but we don’t know where they live.”
