THE wife of well-known Lesedi FM presenter Nkunyana Nkunyana, also known as DJ Skuzabell, was reportedly forced by her circumstances to drop charges against her husband.
Nkunyana's wife, Thakane Ramakau, found herself in a tough spot after her husband was temporarily removed from Lesedi FM's schedule due to a gender-based violence (GBV) charge filed in the Bloemfontein Magistrates Court, which was later withdrawn.
This situation arose after the presenter allegedly assaulted his wife during a dispute over furniture. In an interview with Daily Sun, a distraught Thakane explained that her lack of employment forced her to drop the charges against her husband to allow him to return to work and support their children.
"We haven't reconciled. He's still living in his new apartment with his girlfriend. Being off-air on Lesedi FM for several weeks has hurt our children financially. I'm struggling to afford food and other essentials for our daily lives. I'm an unemployed woman raising our three boys," Thakane said.
Javu Baloi, the national spokesman for Gender Equality, noted that it's a common trend for GBV victims to drop charges when the perpetrator is the family's provider.
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"Many gender-based violence victims are forced to drop charges due to financial dependency, which benefits the perpetrators. We urge the government to help women become financially independent. This will support justice in effectively combating GBV," he said.
Nkunyana was acquitted by the Bloemfontein Magistrates Court on Wednesday, 2 May.
Mojalefa Senokoatsane, the NPA acting spokesman, explained that Nkunyana requested a diversion programme through his advocate, which led to the charges being dropped.
"The victim asked for the charges against her husband to be withdrawn. After considering the case's merits and both parties' reasons, the matter was mediated, and the charges were withdrawn on the condition that the accused completes an adult diversion programme," he said.
When asked for his side of the story, Nkunyana said: "Strictly no comment."
