Cecil Motsepe
Cecil Motsepe
It was a 2008 in which the stars glittered for those deserving the accolades but did not shine so brightly for some of those who hogged the red carpet.
It was indeed a year that did not go down without drama on the celebrity front.
Sowetan revealed how soccer maestro Benedict "Tso" Vilakazi seemed to have a passion for enjoying nookie with under-age girls.
The Mamelodi Sundowns player fathered a child to a 15-year-old girl while he was on trial for the statutory rape of another minor.
He has secretly been paying R1500 a month in maintenance since the girl gave birth.
It was also not all that glam for popular television and radio personality DJ S'bu, aka Sibusiso Leope.
We exposed him as a love rat who left actor and playwright Mpho Molepo joyless by snatching his fianc ee, Terry Pheto. Our story came a week after S'bu denied bedding Pheto, an actress in the Oscar-winning movie Tsotsi.
In fact, the YFM presenter has opened a case of intimidation after Molepo had allegedly threatened Leope.
A month later we broke a story about how the DJ was facing a lawsuit that could potentially send his empire crumbling.
In 2007 DJ S'bu walked away with the Sama for Best Song of the Year after remixing the Josh Groban hit, Remember When It Rained.
It turned out that he allegedly stole Wade Engelbrecht's vocals.
Engelbrecht, who sings the song, took Leope and TS Records to court for profits generated by the sales of DJ S'bu's
Y-Lens Vol 1.
The marriage of popular gospel singer Deborah Fraser and pastor Sockey Okeke of Nigeria collapsed after the man of the cloth allegedly assaulted her.
Fraser cited jealousy and emotional and physical abuse as some of the reasons for the break-up.
"People's Poet" Mzwakhe Mbuli revealed for the first time that his estranged wife Nomsa had been cheating on him while he was languishing in jail for armed robbery.
"I can safely say that she cheated on me," he said.
Nomsa said she was not surprised since Mbuli had made many other startling allegations against her.
Sowetan also managed to track down a Swaziland teenager who fled to South Africa to escape marriage to that country's monarch.
Both King Mswati III and his royal council have failed to comment on the girl's claim and the incident leading to her leaving Swaziland.
We also reported on how family members of Moses Taiwa Molelekwa, the late jazz Picasso who committed suicide in 2001, were entangled in a bitter dispute over his estate.
Afro-funk sensation Sliq Angel was caught groping a mystery woman in the women's toilet at the Dros Restaurant in Auckland Park, Johannesburg.
The muso, of Amantongomane fame, acknowledged the incident but denied entering the women's toilet.
Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Emile Baron was dragged to the Johannesburg maintenance court by Lee-Ann Garcia, who accused him of dodging maintenance payments.
The goalie was later exonerated by blood tests.
Loquacious presenter and actor Bongani Zindela spent a night in the Randburg police cells after being arrested in connection with a maintenance case.
Zindela, who is best known for his role as Mzwakhe on the SABC1 drama series Mzansi, and for co-presenting the talk show Shift, appeared in the Randburg magistrate's court.
Self-confessed coke-head Brickz, real name Sipho Ndlovu, allegedly assaulted Wendy Butt, a top stripper at the popular Club Malasha in Randburg following a booze-fuelled night of madness.
Wendy dropped another bombshell: "Brickz brought cocaine and we had it with whisky.
"As we got high, Brickz and I started kissing and holding hands."
We found that controversial TV actress and Brenda Fassie's ex-lesbian lover, Sindi Khambule, was so down and out that pornographic videos, two tea cups, a 54cm TV set and a derelict double bed were the only belongings in her rented room when she was evicted.
Promise Letswalo, 68, told Sowetan that she was forced to throw Khambule out of her Hillbrow, Johannesburg, house because she owed R6000 in unpaid rent.
Khambule in December 2002 acted in popular TV dramas Zone 14, Backstage, and the award-winning movie Tsotsi.
Sowetan also predicted a gloomy Christmas for Muvhango creator Duma ka Ndlovu this festive season.
A few weeks ago the taxman was set to either attach his snazzy cars or get him to face garnishment to the tune of a whopping R93000.
This was after the creator of the daily SABC2 soapie had failed to honour his tax obligations amounting to more than R1million.
We also reported that the rocky marriage of legendary soccer star "Midnight Express" Helman Mkhalele had finally crumbled.
Sowetan revealed that the former Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana player had been slapped with a divorce writ by his wife, Bridget.
A fortnight ago cops nabbed a Jomo Cosmos player for driving a car with someone else's licence.
Godfrey "Skuveve" Mahlangu was driving in Parkview, Johannesburg, when police stopped him after they noticed that his driving skills were suspect.
The footie paid a R500 admission of guilt fine.
2008 CELEB scandals
Cecil Motsepe
Cecil Motsepe
It was a 2008 in which the stars glittered for those deserving the accolades but did not shine so brightly for some of those who hogged the red carpet.
It was indeed a year that did not go down without drama on the celebrity front.
Sowetan revealed how soccer maestro Benedict "Tso" Vilakazi seemed to have a passion for enjoying nookie with under-age girls.
The Mamelodi Sundowns player fathered a child to a 15-year-old girl while he was on trial for the statutory rape of another minor.
He has secretly been paying R1500 a month in maintenance since the girl gave birth.
It was also not all that glam for popular television and radio personality DJ S'bu, aka Sibusiso Leope.
We exposed him as a love rat who left actor and playwright Mpho Molepo joyless by snatching his fianc ee, Terry Pheto. Our story came a week after S'bu denied bedding Pheto, an actress in the Oscar-winning movie Tsotsi.
In fact, the YFM presenter has opened a case of intimidation after Molepo had allegedly threatened Leope.
A month later we broke a story about how the DJ was facing a lawsuit that could potentially send his empire crumbling.
In 2007 DJ S'bu walked away with the Sama for Best Song of the Year after remixing the Josh Groban hit, Remember When It Rained.
It turned out that he allegedly stole Wade Engelbrecht's vocals.
Engelbrecht, who sings the song, took Leope and TS Records to court for profits generated by the sales of DJ S'bu's
Y-Lens Vol 1.
The marriage of popular gospel singer Deborah Fraser and pastor Sockey Okeke of Nigeria collapsed after the man of the cloth allegedly assaulted her.
Fraser cited jealousy and emotional and physical abuse as some of the reasons for the break-up.
"People's Poet" Mzwakhe Mbuli revealed for the first time that his estranged wife Nomsa had been cheating on him while he was languishing in jail for armed robbery.
"I can safely say that she cheated on me," he said.
Nomsa said she was not surprised since Mbuli had made many other startling allegations against her.
Sowetan also managed to track down a Swaziland teenager who fled to South Africa to escape marriage to that country's monarch.
Both King Mswati III and his royal council have failed to comment on the girl's claim and the incident leading to her leaving Swaziland.
We also reported on how family members of Moses Taiwa Molelekwa, the late jazz Picasso who committed suicide in 2001, were entangled in a bitter dispute over his estate.
Afro-funk sensation Sliq Angel was caught groping a mystery woman in the women's toilet at the Dros Restaurant in Auckland Park, Johannesburg.
The muso, of Amantongomane fame, acknowledged the incident but denied entering the women's toilet.
Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Emile Baron was dragged to the Johannesburg maintenance court by Lee-Ann Garcia, who accused him of dodging maintenance payments.
The goalie was later exonerated by blood tests.
Loquacious presenter and actor Bongani Zindela spent a night in the Randburg police cells after being arrested in connection with a maintenance case.
Zindela, who is best known for his role as Mzwakhe on the SABC1 drama series Mzansi, and for co-presenting the talk show Shift, appeared in the Randburg magistrate's court.
Self-confessed coke-head Brickz, real name Sipho Ndlovu, allegedly assaulted Wendy Butt, a top stripper at the popular Club Malasha in Randburg following a booze-fuelled night of madness.
Wendy dropped another bombshell: "Brickz brought cocaine and we had it with whisky.
"As we got high, Brickz and I started kissing and holding hands."
We found that controversial TV actress and Brenda Fassie's ex-lesbian lover, Sindi Khambule, was so down and out that pornographic videos, two tea cups, a 54cm TV set and a derelict double bed were the only belongings in her rented room when she was evicted.
Promise Letswalo, 68, told Sowetan that she was forced to throw Khambule out of her Hillbrow, Johannesburg, house because she owed R6000 in unpaid rent.
Khambule in December 2002 acted in popular TV dramas Zone 14, Backstage, and the award-winning movie Tsotsi.
Sowetan also predicted a gloomy Christmas for Muvhango creator Duma ka Ndlovu this festive season.
A few weeks ago the taxman was set to either attach his snazzy cars or get him to face garnishment to the tune of a whopping R93000.
This was after the creator of the daily SABC2 soapie had failed to honour his tax obligations amounting to more than R1million.
We also reported that the rocky marriage of legendary soccer star "Midnight Express" Helman Mkhalele had finally crumbled.
Sowetan revealed that the former Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana player had been slapped with a divorce writ by his wife, Bridget.
A fortnight ago cops nabbed a Jomo Cosmos player for driving a car with someone else's licence.
Godfrey "Skuveve" Mahlangu was driving in Parkview, Johannesburg, when police stopped him after they noticed that his driving skills were suspect.
The footie paid a R500 admission of guilt fine.
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