Actress and producer Sonia Mbele has broken her silence on the abuse allegations levelled against her son, Donell Sedibe.
In a statement shared on social media, Mbele assured her son’s accuser, Reokeditswe Makete, that she has her love and support.
This after Makete on Wednesday made several allegations, including physical abuse, against Sedibe, who she was in a relationship with.
Sonia Mbele speaks out
“From the age of 17 to 26, I was with a man who was abusive, physically, psychologically and emotionally. I’m mentioning this so that you understand that as a woman who has suffered ALL kinds of abuse, I do not stand for, support or condone such a stance,” said Mbele.
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The former Generations actress said she chose to speak out on the matter because she has extensively talked about this in her past abusive relationship.
The mother said she wished Makete reached out to her personally, instead of speaking out on social media first, which “broke her heart”.
She explains: “I not only welcomed Reokeditswe Makete into my home but I treated her as a daughter and worked with her in support of her career in the entertainment industry, and right now I would like to reassure her that she still has my love and full support.
“I’ve always been there, I’ve always been supportive. I now realise I should have taken preventative measures much earlier such as counselling and/or child therapy, but sometimes the mistake we tend to make as African single mothers is to assume and hope that things will work out for the best meanwhile certain past behaviours can affect generations to come.”
Mbele said her son “will face his demons”, take accountability for his actions and will allow the law to run its course.
“I refuse to raise a man like his father. Rehab, therapy and internal healing will prevail,” she said.
Read the full statement below
Twitter reacts to Sonia Mbele’s compassionate statement
Compiled by Sandisiwe Mbhele, additional reporting by Kaunda Selisho
