Koyo Bala's friends at war - Iko Mash calls Ephraim 'a liar with no morals'

A bitter war of words has erupted following the death of socialite and musician Koyo Bala who died on Monday at Cape Town's Groote Schuur Hospital after a battle with anal cancer.

Actor and socialite Iko Mash lashed out at Ephraim Molingoana after the latter told Sowetan yesterday of Bala's last moments. Mash accused Molingoana of being opportunistic and "a liar with no morals".

A livid Mash said: "We all know he treated him terribly. He kicked him out of the house when he was sick. He avoided him in Durban at the MetroFM music awards. Koyo only saw him on Saturday. Even when his health deteriorated at the weekend he ignored him until Sunday.

"Koyo wasn't going back on Sunday. He was going to be here in Johannesburg for a month. Ephraim is riding on Koyo's death. Koyo stayed with Ephraim out of desperation."

He said the only reason Molingoana stayed with the Bala family in Cape Town during the December holidays was because he could not afford accommodation in the city.

Mash even took to Facebook where he posted that Molingoana disgusted him. "Don't use Koyo's death to elevate yourself . you are an excuse for a human being. You are pathetic and disgusting and you have no shame, sies."

Molingoana shot down Mash's accusations. "I'm in the limelight enough. I don't need Koyo's death to put me there. My career is going well. What Iko is saying is slander.

"I didn't appoint myself to speak for the family. Koyo's sister Zoleka called me, not Iko or Amstel."

Molingoana related how his mother, sister and a cousin looked after Bala when he was bedridden at his house.

He said he couldn't see Bala last week because he was "running around" with designer Thula Sindi preparing for Sindi's store launch in Matlosana, North West. Molingoana said he asked his sister to look after Bala at that time.

"Iko and them were not there. Koyo lived in my house for 10 years and we had our fallouts. Koyo started hosting his friends like Iko at my house and they would throw parties and drink wine and I didn't like that. They took it personally when I told Koyo to stop and he told them. It was not right that I'd come home to find the house full of people and some chose to sleep over.

"When Koyo got better he started disappearing without telling me where he was going. I told him that perhaps he needed his space. I said he could always come back. I wasn't chasing him. I thought he needed some air. His clothes were still in my wardrobe."

Molingoana said they started talking again after a year. "We didn't tell anyone, it was between us and his family. That's why they welcomed me and two other friends when I visited in December. They wouldn't let me stay at a hotel.

"I have nothing to justify to people. Koyo will always be my friend and I will cherish him for life. All I want is to bury him with dignity. I don't want any of this."

Called for comment, Zoleka could only confirm that Molingoana was indeed asked to be the family spokesman along with businessman China Mpololo.

Amstel Maboa didn't want to entertain Mash's attack. "I'm running away from anything negative. I'm a friend in mourning," he said.

Maboa said he was flying to Cape Town to help the family with arrangements. "I knew his lifestyle and I know what he'd like. I'm going to be strong so that he gets a funeral he deserves."

mofokengl@sowetan.co.za