By Arts Correspondent
South African dancer, choreographer and musician Matome Robert Mahlatse Thoka, popularly known as Limpopo Boy, has apologised after discovering that the woman featured with him in a leaked intimate video was married — a scandal that has since cost him a place at a major creative industry event in Botswana.
The viral video, which was shared online triggered widespread backlash after reports emerged that the woman involved was married.
In a public statement, Limpopo Boy said he only became aware of her marital status after the footage surfaced online and expressed regret over what he described as a serious error in judgement.
“I only discovered after the video was leaked that she was married,” Thoka said.
“I should have independently verified her marital status before sharing a private moment with her. Instead of doing that, I threw caution to the wind and I’m now paying the price for my poor judgement.”
The performer, who said he was raised in a Christian household that respects the sanctity of marriage and condemns infidelity, issued a direct apology to the affected family.
“I want to apologise in particular to the Shai family for the tremendous pain I have put them through,” he said.
“That’s not how I was raised. I’m not a home wrecker.”
The scandal has now had professional consequences for the Limpopo-born entertainer after organisers of the inaugural Creators Assembly announced that he had been removed from the programme.
The Creators Assembly, which is being held in partnership with BBS Bank, said Limpopo Boy would no longer participate in the event and that organisers were considering a suitable replacement.
The event is scheduled to run from August 19 to 21 at the Grand Aria Hotel and Conference Centre in Gaborone, Botswana.
Organisers said the assembly remained committed to promoting the growth and development of Botswana’s creative economy and thanked partners, creatives and stakeholders for their continued support and understanding.
Limpopo Boy’s management has maintained that the distribution of the intimate footage was unauthorised and malicious, describing the leak as a serious violation of privacy.
His representatives said the content had allegedly been stolen and shared without consent and that cybersecurity experts and legal teams were being engaged to investigate the source of the breach and seek the removal of the material from online platforms.
The management team also appealed to members of the public to stop sharing, downloading or engaging with the explicit footage, warning that its continued circulation could cause further harm.
For his part, Limpopo Boy said he accepted responsibility for his failure to establish the full circumstances before becoming involved with the woman.
Addressing his supporters, family and fans, he said he was choosing “humility over defensiveness” and acknowledged that trust could not simply be restored through a public statement.
“I know that trust is not restored through statements. It is restored through time, accountability and actions,” he said.
The dancer said he hoped to be given an opportunity to learn from the scandal and demonstrate through his future actions that he had taken responsibility for his mistakes.
Meanwhile, the Johannesburg influencer, Matshidiso Matilda has said she has discussed the matter with her husband and that the controversy has not broken up their marriage. She said the couple had addressed the issue privately and remained together, pushing back against speculation that the leaked video had brought their relationship to an end.
