'Jub Jub, pay back the money'

A Johannesburg woman has accused ex-convict and hip-hop star Molemo "Jub Jub" Maarohanye of refusing to pay up after she paid his legal fees.

The 55-year-old, who spoke on condition of anonymity and has been a family friend since the 1970s, claims she forked out about R125000 to pay the singer's lawyer Ike Motloung during his trial.

Jub Jub and his friend Themba Tshabalala were convicted of culpable homicide for the death of four children in December 2012.

The woman claims the star and his family could not foot Motloung's hefty bill. The payments were made between March and June 2011.

According to Nedbank statements seen by Sowetan, the money was paid into an account belonging to "I Motloung" in four instalments.

The first payment was of R30000, transferred on March 16 2011. The second, R30000 went through on April 23 2011. There was a further payment of R20000 on June 20, and the last instalment of R45000 was paid on June 21.

She said she was asked to assist in paying for Jub Jub's fees by his family. "I agreed because I knew the family well and had been friends with them for years. The family was confident that Jub Jub was going to win the case."

The businesswoman said since the artist was released on parole last year, she has been trying to track him down without success. She said she almost got a breakthrough when Jub Jub was performing at Rhema Bible Church.

"I asked the church to give me his manager's contact details and they gave me Pablo Sehloho's contacts. Pablo gave me the numbers of a woman called Angela, whom he said was Jub Jub's wife.

"I communicated with both of them about the issue until they decided to block me (from their phones). I really want Jub Jub to pay back my money."

However, when Sowetan contacted Sehloho, he denied that he was Jub Jub's manager. He said he was just a friend and refused to give out contacts of the real manager.

The woman said the biggest problem was that she was no longer on speaking terms with Jub Jub's mother, Mama Jackey Maarohanye.

She said after he was jailed, she approached his father, who made it clear that the singer would sort out his problems "as he was a man".

She said the fallout with Jackey started when she accommodated (Jub Jub's ex) Kelly Khumalo and Jub Jub at her house in Bassonia, south of Johannesburg.

"I helped Jub Jub because I regarded him as my son. I used to pick up Jub Jub at pre-school [when he was still young]," the woman said

Motloung confirmed that there was a woman who made payments for the musician to his account.

"I know the woman made those payments more than once. One thing I knew was that the woman was not a relative or Jub Jub's mother."

Motloung added that the woman was not the only one owed by the Maarohanye family.

"I am owed legal fees by the sisters and the mother, and the matter is in high court,"

Sowetan sent messages to Angela in a bid to get hold of Jub Jub for his side of the story, but she had not responded to the request by the time of going to print last night.