Paying maintenance no joke

2007-06-25 09:52

Cecil Motsepe

Cape Town - TV funny man Kenneth Nkosi, who also appeared in the Oscar-winning movie Tsotsi, is being taken to court over his alleged reluctance to pay maintenance for his three children.

Nkosi's estranged wife, Nobuntu Major and their three children, seem to be living in poverty.

Nkosi is the creator of the SABC1 comedy series Kenny Makenzo and also presents a Vodacom TV competition, Dr Yebo.

He has also starred as a pastor in the TV drama Gaz'lam and has acted with Joe Mafela in another comedy, Fela's TV.

Nkosi produces another TV series, Mzansi, and also works as a stage actor.

City Press has been reliably informed that Major and her children - aged three, five and 11 - fled the marital home in Lyndhurst, Johannesburg, on March 25 and moved to Cape Town.

Series of assaults

This was after she had allegedly endured a series of assaults for seven years.

A close friend said: "Nobuntu could not take it any longer. On weekends, Kenny comes home drunk and beats her up. There is no one in the neighbourhood who does not know her fate."

In one of their numerous rows last year, Nkosi sent the children to Winnie's Daycare in Rockville, Soweto, after kicking Major out.

Its principal, Lindi Mkhonazi, confirmed that the children were there between January and October.

The maintenance hearing was initially scheduled for Cape Town's Blue Downs Magistrates Court last week.

But it had to be postponed after the summons could not be served on Nkosi because he has changed his physical address.

'Not available indefinitely'

Nkosi did not return calls by City Press despite several messages being left on his cell phone.

An unidentified man who later answered his cell phone said Nkosi would not be available to answer any questions.

"He is not available indefinitely," he said before hanging up.

Major confirmed that she had taken Nkosi to court.

"I want to know where he stays so we can serve him with court papers. After all, he told me he will only maintain the children on the instructions of a court of law," said Major.

- City Press