THE regent of the Balobedu tribe, Mpapatla Modjadji, lived up to his name when he allegedly brutally beat his wife, Mokgawa Modjadji, at the weekend.

It is believed the traditional leader had accused his wife of infidelity.

Mpapatla, a Sepedi name meaning a brutal assaulter, allegedly assaulted Mokgawa on Sunday morning.

She had spent the night at her parents' home in Khethakone village outside Modjadjiskloof with her family during the unveiling of four tombstones of her grandparents.

A close relative, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said an argument ensued when the regent accused Mokgawa of being disrespectful by coming home in the early hours of the morning.

But attempts to lay a charge at the Bolobedu police station soon after the incident were stopped when the Modjadji royal house allegedly pleaded with the victim not to do so.

Limpopo police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Mohale Ramatseba said a member of the royal family suggested the matter be settled out of court.

The incident has angered the Limpopo house of traditional leaders, which condemned it.