Makoto Phumodi  Opens Up About Love, Loss, and Lessons on Relebogile Mabotja’s Podcast

In a recent episode of The Relebogile Mabotja Podcast, radio host and media personality Relebogile Mabotja sat down with Married at First Sight Mzansi Season 2 star, Makoto Phumodi,  for a heartfelt and emotional conversation. The reality TV bride, known for her bold personality and ambition, opened up about her journey, her late mother, and what really happened in her short-lived marriage to Nkululeko.

However, the interview soon took an emotional turn when Makoto opened up about the loss of her mother — a moment that left both her and Relebogile in tears. Speaking with deep emotion, she said, “I feel like my mom was the most beautiful mom I have ever seen in my life. So gracious, so loving, so jolly. She was also so funny. She was a humble woman. She taught me how to be brave and to be strong.”

Makoto described the heartbreaking day her mother passed away — a memory that still haunts her. “I was there when she passed. I’m the one who closed her eyes. I remember when the doctors told us that she’s brain damaged and they said there’s absolutely nothing we can do. We have to switch off the machines. I asked for time. I remember I was so angry,” she recalled, explaining how she directed her anger towards God and her family.

Through tears, she shared the final words she said to her mother: “I just went into the room and hugged her. And I just said, ‘Mama, I love you and I will always love you.’” She paused, adding softly, “I’ve never seen anything like that. It’s the most traumatising image ever. I just stood there like, what — my mom is gone? So soon?”

The conversation also touched on her reality TV marriage to Nkululeko, a relationship that quickly turned sour. Makoto revealed how early signs of control appeared only days after they tied the knot. “I even received an audition when I was shooting. He said I can’t do that role because there’s a character of a man who is asexual and he’s hiding behind the Bible… I was like dude, it’s only been three days and you’re already telling me that I can’t do certain jobs, I can’t do this, I can’t work here, I can’t go here,” she said.

Makoto expressed disappointment in the experts who matched her with Nkululeko on the show. “They threw me under the bus,” she said firmly.