The son of a top Premier Soccer League club owner allegedly got his ex-wife arrested after she tried to leave the country with their two kids through Botswana on Monday.
The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, spent a night in police holding cells at Groot Marico police station in North West after she was arrested based on a complaint laid by her ex-husband at Parkview police station in Joburg.
Her mother huddled up with her kids in the car while she was sleeping in the cells.
In his complaint, the ex-hubby claimed that the woman was in contempt of court for denying him contact with his children and also for trying to skip the country with them.
In his statement to the police, the ex-husband alleged that his ex-wife had violated a court order by refusing him contact with his children and he requested the police to affect a warrant of her arrest.
However, according to an affidavit filed by the woman's lawyers at the South Gauteng high court, the woman thought her ex-husband would not return the kids to her if she were to let them visit him.
"The applicant, in any event, fears for her life and fears that the respondent will abduct the minor children if he is granted contact to them prior to her departure...," the document reads.
Club boss's son gets fleeing ex-wife arrested
The son of a top Premier Soccer League club owner allegedly got his ex-wife arrested after she tried to leave the country with their two kids through Botswana on Monday.
The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, spent a night in police holding cells at Groot Marico police station in North West after she was arrested based on a complaint laid by her ex-husband at Parkview police station in Joburg.
Her mother huddled up with her kids in the car while she was sleeping in the cells.
In his complaint, the ex-hubby claimed that the woman was in contempt of court for denying him contact with his children and also for trying to skip the country with them.
In his statement to the police, the ex-husband alleged that his ex-wife had violated a court order by refusing him contact with his children and he requested the police to affect a warrant of her arrest.
However, according to an affidavit filed by the woman's lawyers at the South Gauteng high court, the woman thought her ex-husband would not return the kids to her if she were to let them visit him.
"The applicant, in any event, fears for her life and fears that the respondent will abduct the minor children if he is granted contact to them prior to her departure...," the document reads.
The court papers show that the woman's passport was confiscated by the police when they arrested her on Monday.
The documents also show that before her arrest in North West, the woman had gone to a border post to Botswana where she was refused a pass with the children.
She was told that her name was on a no-fly list system, known as the V-List, and she was not allowed to leave the country.
The court papers further show that the woman's lawyer sought the intervention of the Minister of Home Affairs, Ayanda Dlodlo, and asked her to explain why his client's name was on the V-List.
The lawyer further said that Dlodlo referred them to a senior official at Home Affairs to help explain the matter.
"The DDG (deputy director-general) immediately advised that he knew of the ... matter, and he confirmed that the applicant and minor children were on the list because she was attempting to depart from South Africa against a court order," reads the affidavit.
This week, the woman's lawyer confirmed that his client was arrested while trying to leave the country.
"I can confirm that my client was arrested on Monday night trying to leave the country, but she has since been released on Tuesday evening," said the attorney.
He also confirmed writing to the Minister of Home Affairs enquiring about the arrest and confusion around his client's name appearing on the no-fly list.
"The matter was resolved and my client left the country on Friday night with her kids," he said.
Parkview police spokeswoman Tintswalo Sibeko confirmed the woman's arrest but said charges were later withdrawn in court.
"She was arrested in the North West on the 29 January at a border post and she appeared at a North West court where she was warned to appear at the Johannesburg family court," said Sibeko.
Meanwhile, the South Gauteng High Court has ordered the former soccer player in a divorce judgment to pay at least R9000 per child in child maintenance until they reached the age of 21 and a further R15000 towards spousal maintenance for the next four years.