Simon Nare

Embattled millionaire Mandla Mthembu has now accused his television actress wife Khanyisile Mbau of being a gold digger.

"She has been gunning for my wealth ever since we met. I confronted her several times about rumours of her being a gold digger and she flatly denied it," Mthembu said.

Mthembu and the former Muvhango actress have split amid accusations of Mbau having an affair with another man.

She has denied this, saying the text messages were from a gay friend.

The friend, known only as Thokozani, at the weekend told Sowetan that it appeared Mbau had saved somebody else's number under his name.

For Mthembu, it is like jumping out of the frying pan into the fire.

He has just settled out of court with his former wife and now Mbau has hired the same lawyer who represented his former wife to institute legal action against him.

"I was suspicious that she was a gold digger, but when you love someone and they keep assuring you that they are not, what do you do?

"It finally hit home that she was after my money all along when she appointed my ex-wife's lawyer to represent her because he knows everything about my finances," said Mthembu, who vowed to fight to the end.

Mbau was not available for comment yesterday.

Mthembu yesterday said Thokozani was a go-between for his wife and the other man, whose name he told Sowetan was Modika.

Matters came to a head the weekend of the South African Music Awards at Sun City, when Mthembu allegedly assaulted his wife.

It is not clear what sparked the fight, but Mthembu yesterday saidhe was seated next to his wife when she received a text message from Thokozani.

"The message read: 'I am at the Samas. Let's meet at the door.' So Thokozani is lying when he says he was at the Rand Show that night. I know for a fact that Thokozani is a go- between for my wife and this other guy."

"If my wife claims that he is just a friend, how come she has never introduced him to me? I know all her gay friends, but this Thokozani guy is faceless. Why?"

Mthembu said his wife started receiving text messages from Thokozani's number last year.

Mthembu believes that Thokozani works for the man who is communicating with his wife.

Mthembu was supposed to have reported to the Sun City police station, but didn't do so on the advice of his lawyers.

Mbau opened a case of assault against him after the incident in the hotel room. Mthembu has opened a counter case of assault against his wife.

Mthembu said the fight started over petty things about which he didn't want to elaborate.