Over the long weekend, Real Housewives of Durban (RHOD) star and businesswoman Nonku Williams was spotted looking cozy with sports broadcaster Robert Marawa.
In a video making rounds on social media, both Nonku and Robert are seen with her A2B Wine and locking arms while they sip.
This got fans excited, and many concluded that Nonku and Robert were dating.
Speaking to Drum, Nonku says they are far from dating and that she was introduced to Robert by a friend at the Easter Polo Classic which took place in Durban on 16 April.
“I was introduced to Rob by a friend. They knew each other and we all took photos together and she felt he would be a great person to have in my corner because he appreciates wine.”
They started speaking from there and exchanging business ideas.
“I promised him a taste of my wine and he was going to link me up with some top restaurants in Johannesburg and that happened. We went to a couple of places. It was mere fun, and we have mutual respect.”
On 1 May she attended the Standard Bank Joburg Polo in the Park where Robert was also a guest.
“The polo started during the day, and I missed my flight and I took a 4pm flight for an event that ended at 7pm. I arrived as the event ended. Not knowing anyone in Joburg, he introduced me to a few people, and we took the first video and he got to taste the wine.”
Nonku says the weekend was just Robert introducing her to people who can assist in growing her wine brand.
“It was just business more than anything. I want to list my wines in all major restaurants across South Africa. He also has Marawa Sports Worldwide, and I posted wearing his branded cap,” she says.
“Us locking arms in the video was all banter. I don’t feel guilty about what I did. We were playing and people took it seriously and started becoming malicious and saying, ‘I’m sure from there they went straight to the bedroom’ and that was offensive. Anyone mature enough can see it was banter,” she adds.
“The whole thing started as a joke and when we saw people were enjoying it calling us a cute couple, we played along, but there is honestly nothing happening between us,” she says.
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Nonku is not bothered by the hate but wants to make it clear, that she and Robert are not dating but merely growing a friendship and potential business deals.
“I don’t care about what people think. Rob is such a gentleman. After the whole thing blew up on social media, Robert checked up on me because he was concerned. He is a gentleman, and we are fine,” she says.
The last time Nonku dated was over a year ago.
“It’s been over a year since I dated. I don’t have a boyfriend. I took a break from dating after seeing the guy from Atlanta. I made a conscious decision to take a break from dating,” she says
“We hardly saw each other, and we decided to call it off. I then decided to take a break from dating and just focus on myself, my career, and my family.”
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Nonku says she is tired of controversy and having her name dragged through the mud.
“Every episode of Real Housewives, my name has to be there. People are just cruel. I have been labeled an alcoholic and I never confessed to having a drinking problem because I don’t. People misunderstood,” she says.
Contrary to what people think about her, Nonku says she is just a free and loving spirit.
“I don’t go clubbing, I am always at the home or attending industry events. I don’t smoke these hubbly things but when it comes to anything related to wine, I like to get involved,” she says.
“I just drink to distress. There’s nothing extreme about my drinking. The ladies drink when the cameras are not rolling.”
This coming Friday 6 May is the first episode of the reunion of the Real Housewives of Durban and Nonku gets a chance to address issues she felt we misunderstood.
“I am sick of the controversy, to be honest. It felt good for me to explain myself and confront the ladies. I handled everything maturely.”
