Palesa Madisakwane, the mother of Somizi Mhlongo’s child, has made explosive new claims about her past relationship with the flamboyant media personality. According to Sunday World, speaking on the Hell and Back podcast, part two, Palesa revealed that Somizi allegedly pressured her to abort their child and later demanded a DNA test after the baby was born.
“I was told to abort. When the baby was born, he told me he doesn’t love the baby because he doesn’t love me,” Palesa said. “He refused to maintain the child, and I took him to court. By that time, I was already a known brand and started acting.” She admitted how humiliating it was to take such action, but she felt she had no choice.
Despite the DNA test confirming Somizi was indeed the father of the child, Palesa claimed that Somizi continued to avoid any responsibility. “Even after that, he wouldn’t support his child. I’d call him, and sometimes he’d pay, sometimes he wouldn’t. My ex-husband had to support Bahumi,” she explained.
Palesa also revealed how Bahumi faced financial struggles, including being excluded from tertiary education because her fees hadn’t been paid. “In 2020, Bahumi was homeless and Somizi was nowhere to be found,” she said. “I was going through difficult times and had separated from my husband. My two kids from the marriage were living with my ex-husband, and Bahumi had nowhere to stay. She had to live with friends, yet Somizi was living in a mansion.”
Even now, Palesa claims that Somizi is still not supporting Bahumi, who is now 30 years old. “I’m responsible for her wellbeing. She’s not financially stable and still lives under my roof. I’m the one taking care of her,” said Palesa. She added that although Bahumi sometimes attends parties with Somizi, she returns with nothing and often needs her mother’s support for transport money.
Palesa shared that she felt compelled to speak out because she has made peace with the past. “Back then, I couldn’t speak because I was protecting my children and my marriage. But now I have a voice. I’m opening up because I know there are women going through the same thing – women who’ve been rejected by their partners,” she said. “I want my story to motivate them.”
In a separate interview on the Engineering Your Life with Lungelo podcast, Bahumi also spoke about her relationship with her father. Unlike her mother, she was more cautious with her words. “I feel like my father has some regrets. There are things he did, and he regrets those things,” she shared. “I realized this when I was asking him for advice. But he told me that I mustn’t become like him.”
Bahumi also confirmed that the Living the Dream with Somizi reality show did not reflect their real lives. “I honestly thought it would be real, but I was wrong. The show was pushing a certain narrative, and I wasn’t aware. I went blindly into it,” she said.
