It has been over two weeks since Bucy Radebe’s live DVD recording in Sun City with Rebecca Malope, Vusi Nova, Jabu Hlongwane, and many others who joined her on stage.
This day was meant to be a day of worship for Bucy turned out to be a horror for veteran gospel singer Rebecca Malope who accused Bucy’s manager and husband Thapelo Thoboke of being aggressive and rude to her at the event.
Thapelo and Bucy have since held a press conference gathering media to explain their side of the story.
Bucy immediately addresses the rumours making rounds on social media about being allegedly abused.
“Firstly, I am not being abused as many people have implied on social media,” Bucy says. “It breaks my heart that the GBV issue is used as a plaything and a way of putting others down. I don’t take kindly to lies.”
Bucy says ever since she met her husband in 2017, he has never laid a hand on her.
“I met my husband Thapelo in 2017. Never did he lay a hand on me. I was never abused. I am not abused. I have never been admitted to the hospital for being abused. He has never sworn at me, pushed me, or manhandled me. He is gentle when it comes to me. He is protective of me, and he doesn’t like to see me cry. He hates to see me cry. To see a tweet from someone I know saying she is married to a bully and a psychopath, and I hope she comes out alive pains me. Like in any couple we have issues at home, but we know how to resolve our issues,” she says.
A year ago, she was hospitalised and some people on social media alleged that it was due to the abuse by her husband.
“I was admitted to the hospital for a breast reduction. I had a hormone issue that made my breasts continue to grow and because I have a tiny waist it hurt my back and changed my posture. That was the first time I was admitted to the hospital. When I was discharged, my husband took care of me,” she says.
The second time, she was admitted for fibroids.
“Last year in May I had a serious fibroids condition and cysts and had to do a myotomy to have them removed. That is why I was admitted. There is no need to share proof. I was never hospitalising due to abuse. My husband had never laid a hand on me.”
Bucy says she is not a hypocrite.
“I would never stay in a loveless marriage that is toxic while preaching the gospel to women and telling them to not stay in an abusive marriage. I saw what abuse did to my mother. I can never allow myself to endure what my mom endured and what she went through. When my mom was abused by my father, she left and that taught me that you don’t stay in a loveless, abusive relationship. “
She urges everyone to now stop with the malicious rumours.
“To everyone who has sent messages, I appreciate the thoughts. I am with a man who believed in my career and invested in releasing my album in 2019. Please let us stop spreading lies and dragging the dignity of this man and my marriage.”
In an interview with Drum, Rebecca said, Thapelo had lost his cool and told her to “f#$k off" when they did not see eye to eye about the running order of her performance.
“He asked me to come out and go to the audience. To start the song in the audience, which is something I was never briefed about prior. The people were already seated in the audience, and I felt it would cause chaos to have people scream and pull at me during the concert. I was also there at the soundcheck and was never informed about their plans. When I objected, he lost it,” she said.
“Maybe he wanted me to feel he was the boss, but he started swearing and saying all sorts of things that I do not wish to repeat. He was fighting. He said in his words, ‘If you don’t want me to do what I say you, can leave it,’ He then said, ‘If you don’t want to you can f**k off,” she adds.
“He told me that the song is not adding any value to the concert anyway, who do I think I am? Yena he wasted money in putting this whole thing together. I can just ‘f**k off.’ He was using swear words like a bully. He didn’t even pretend to be humble. It’s like he was doing me a favour.”
She was gutted by the experience.
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Thapelo and Bucy Radebe had released a statement apologising to Rebecca but the apology fell on deaf ears as she told Drum she felt they were not being genuine.
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Bucy’s husband says on the day, there was a plan and Rebecca’s s daughter and manager was briefed about the running order of the show days before but maybe failed to communicate with Rebecca.
“All the featured artists were given information as to what is expected of them. I did not even communicate with Dr. Malope. I spoke directly to the manager.”
Thapelo says the only communication he had with Rebecca was through her manager and the last time they spoke was at the meeting when they were discussing the concert last year.
“I had no interaction with her. I had someone working on managing her performance. There were other issues that were not going according to plan, and I was not happy. I did address it with the staff. One of the issues was her entrance. There was no way I never spoke to the artist. There was no one insulted, I don't insult people. Yes, I can get upset when things don’t go my way, but I do not insult anyone,” he says.
Thapelo believes that Rebecca’s anger was being fuelled by social media. “The stories keep changing. I was not even aware that she was unhappy when she left. No one can claim that they heard me use the F-word. She jumped into the story and ran with it after the story started trending on social media,” he says.
Bucy and Thapelo have been getting threats from people.
“I am receiving death threats. I am being called the devil and people my car is branded, so I am easy to spot."
The couple has opened cases of defamation against those spreading rumours and they have opened criminal cases against those threatening their lives.
“The police are taking the matter into their own hands and they we will be going the legal route from her onwards,” Thapelo says.
