- Mpumelelo Mseleku and his siblings have their own spinoff reality show titled.
- While viewers initially had mixed reactions, the show has a following.
- Mpumelelo says his goal is to follow in his father's footsteps in polygamy.
Many got to know Mpumelelo Mseleku on television through the reality TV show uThando NesThembu. It follows his family as they navigate the ins and outs of polygamy.
But soon after a few episodes dropped of the spinoff reality show of him and his siblings titled Izingane Ze’Sthembu, it became a fan favourite and topped the trends on social media week after week.
Mpumelelo admits that he was aware of how the show was received initially and he was not bothered at all.
The 22-year-old proves in the show that indeed an apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Just like his father Musa Mseleku, he’s a businessman, he loves the idea of a polygamous marriage, and he is also on reality TV fighting so hard for his girlfriends, Vuyokwazi Nciweni and Tirelo Kale, to become one unit.
He tells TRUELOVE that the idea of the show was to show how a polygamous relationship is built from scratch.
“The show began when I already decided that I want isithembu. On my side, it shows what it means to be in isithembu and that in order to be in isithembu, for instance, you must have at least two or three girlfriends and your entire energy must be focused on that. It is not an overnight decision. If you have one girlfriend and want to be in a polygamous relationship but fail to manage its logistics, then you realise that maybe you won’t survive in isithembu after watching the show.”
READ MORE | 'Polygamy was an act of power' - Have shows like Uthando neS’thembu changed how we view the practice?
Meanwhile, his siblings, who are also the cast members of the show, are opening up about their lives. Sneh is in her good girl era and vowed to make 2023 her year of success while Lwandle seems to be an introvert and wants to be in a polygamous relationship as well, but nothing concrete has come out as yet. Former Real Housewives of Durban star Ma’Khumalo’s one and only daughter, Mpiloenhle is bringing her larger-than-life personality and other things to the reality show.
Meanwhile, Abongwe came to Jo’burg to pursue her dreams of being a filmmaker. This is the city she said she has always wanted to explore and she’s doing exactly that.
On the other hand, Mpumelelo seems to be the starring of the show when it comes to the drama. The young businessman becomes a hot topic on social media with his girlfriends after every episode aired on Tuesdays at 8pm.
His life is interesting to viewers as he manoeuvres his way around making his girlfriends become one unit, his lover being pregnant with his second child, building his two businesses, and the recent drama of the leaked sex tape being the cherry on top.
He admits that he’s going through it all because he’s not the type to hide anything. He tells us that he learns from his own mistakes.
“It is not that I’m the star of the show,” he chuckles, “it is just that I want to show anyone who wants isithembu at my age, to see exactly what is going on; there are many fights in isithembu, just as much as there are fun moments, and communication is key. Isithembu on its own it’s a lot to take in and not really healthy.”
When asked how he balances being 22, his businesses, fatherhood, and giving attention to the two women currently in his life, he tells us it’s not easy but he’s main challenge is fatherhood.
“It is not easy to raise a child because whatever you do, you must always know that you are not only doing it for yourself but the child as well. So, I’m always careful with my routes.”
He adds, “Balancing the other things, is like having two girlfriends as a guy and the only difference is that I am not hiding anything. My partners know each other. So, as men we are able to balance a lot of things at the same time, for instance, one may have multiple partners but still be able to manage their time very well when it comes to giving them attention. Therefore, it is all about time management.”
Speaking about the leaked sex tape between him and musician Queen Lolly, real name Nomfundo Shezi, that was recently discussed in one of the episodes, he tells us it was bound to happen.
“I had no fear at all because I believe in the saying ‘if it is meant to happen then it will happen’. Whether you are trying so hard to hide it or not, it will happen if it is meant to be. I did learn from my mistakes the hard way but if it was supposed to happen, then it was bound to be.”
He adds that it has hit his parents really hard when they learnt that he has a leaked sex tape, but they managed the situation really well.
“If they took it really bad, it was going to break me even more because I needed their support as my parents as much as I made a mistake,” he says.
He is his father's son. Mpumelelo shares that he chose to be in a polygamous relationship because he wants to grow his family name, Mseleku.
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“It is not stressful for me. I just go to wherever I want to and no one questions my moves because they know each other. For me, that is the pinnacle of it because it’s not like I’m in jail, I’m free,” he chuckles.
He says what he loves about it is that he does not have to lie his way to see any of his girlfriends, however, he’s also having his fair share of challenges.
“Multitasking and jealousy too are a bit of a challenge. When one of them starts being jealous, I have to try to do things differently to accommodate them. Women loves quality time and attention, because it serves as assurance that indeed you are in love. So, I always go above and beyond just to meet their expectations.”
He says just as much as he is following in his father’s footsteps, Mpumelelo tells us that he does not really like seeking advice from him about his relationship when it all gets tough.
“I don’t do advice. As a person, you only seek advice when you have failed. So, when you are still trying so hard, then don’t seek advice. At the moment, if I ask for advice from him, the way we do things is different. He is my father, Musa Mseleku and I am Mpumelelo.”
He says what he has learnt from his father’s polygamous marriage, however, is unity.
He admits it’s a struggle for him as well to make his girlfriends get along, but things are promising at the moment.
He is currently in his home in Durban, KwaZulu Natal working on his water purification products and security company, Sbindi.
He tells us he has always wanted to do something that would resolve the issue of consuming bacteria free water as he grew up in the villages in Mzumbe.
“It is actually a problem that the country is facing. So, my products come in powered sachets which you will pour inside the water that is not in a good condition for purification. This product then kills every bacteria that may be harmful and inside the water,” he explains.
