Timeline of a serial husband: See all the real ex-wives of Lebo M

From failed nuptials to flubbed engagements, see how the never bae-less man has fallen in and out of love in the past 30 years

01 August 2023 - 16:49
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Lebo M and his soon to be ex-wife Pretty Samuels Morake. File photo.
Lebo M and his soon to be ex-wife Pretty Samuels Morake. File photo.
Image: Instagram/Lebo M

Cats have nine lives, luck has its third charm but when it comes to love, Lebo Morake seems to take his chances in sevens. The composer and producer may be lauded for his incredible work on The Lion King,  but his love life has proven to be wilder than the trials and tribulations of Simba.

Better known as Lebo M, the star composer released a press statement announcing he will be sending his wife a summons for divorce. The statement also said he will not comment on the matter at the moment as it is a “family matter”.

“I will not be drawn into salacious allegations and innuendos about my business and personal life. I will be going ahead with the divorce and have already instructed my attorneys,” he said about his wife and reality TV co-star.

Pretty Samuels joins a long line of women on Lebo M's hit list. While many of these tales started as a love song, we have compiled a timeline of how they all quickly became a tragedy.

A walk down Lebo M's memory lane of love.
A walk down Lebo M's memory lane of love.
Image: Nolo Moima

VIVECA GIPSON (late 1980s to early 1990s)

  • A love story that began before Lebo M's ascent to international stardom, a factor that seems to reflect Gipson's approach to fame.
  • Very little is known about her and the exact year her and Lebo M were engaged.
  • The two share two children together, Zakiya and Nthabiseng. It is not known why the two divorced and the only news about the mysterious relationship is that it lasted all of five years.

NANDI NDLOVU (1993 to 2007)

  • 1990: Holding the crown for the longest marriage to Lebo M, Ndlovu met him while they were in production for Sarafina
  • 2000: The pair had three children during their marriage; Refilwe, Tshepiso and Thembalethu. Refilwe's date of birth is not clear but Tshepiso celebrated his 21st in 2021, marking his date of birth in 2000.
  • 2003: At 14 months, Thembalethu passed away. The full details were made public in a 2021 interview with Sunday World.
  • 2004: Seemingly unable to wait for Lebo M's return to South Africa, Ndlovu flew to Los Angeles to file for divorce.
  • 2005: According to Lebo M, the couple attempted to rekindle their romance during this time. Many assumed they were officially done in 2004.
  • 2007: The couple officially hit splitsville when Lebo M learned Ndlovu had continued an affair during their separation. This would include a sapphic affair with an assistant of Lebo M's he alleged about in interviews. 

ANGELA NGANI-CASARA (2008 to 2013)

  • 2008: Cupid's arrow would strike again when Lebo M wed businesswoman Ngani-Casara. She came into the marriage with her two children Mthunzi and Ketzo.
  • 2009: Before moving to Los Angeles, News24 reported Ndlovu would alleged Lebo M was involved in an incident where she was almost “pushed off the road”.
  • 2013: Lebo M and Ngani-Casara's relationship would be shortlived, also coming to an end after five years, much like his first marriage. A source close to the family revealed the pair called it quits due to constant fighting and Lebo M trying to rekindle his love for Ndlovu.

ZOE MTHIYANE (2015 to 2016)

  • 2014: Never one to wait too long to start a romance, Lebo M started dating again a year after the end of his marriage. He allegedly started a romance with Mthiyane when they first met at a The Lion King opening in 2014
  • 2015: It became very clear to the public that Lebo M was expecting a baby in 2015 and the pair had been spotted in photo ops together. In July of the same year, the pair welcomed their baby Lulu.
  • December 2015: It would only be a matter of time before Lebo M would again go on bended knee and ask Mthiyane to marry him on a boat cruise in Cape Town.
  • 2016: Five months later the expiration date on Lebo's monogamy came when he again ended another relationship. In an interview with Drum magazine, Lebo cited the sudden end of their relationship was due to a disagreement on their pre-nuptials.

ANGELA NGANI-CASARA (2016 to 2017)

  • 2016: Six months after parting ways with Mthiyane, Lebo M was back again with Ngani-Casara. Rumours had already circled the pair's renewed relationship and they made things official with snaps of their wedding seen in Sowetan. The ceremony was in Egypt near the pyramids of Giza.
  • 2017: According to Ngani-Casara, Lebo M ended the marriage six months later.

MALEFU NTSALA (2019 to 2020)

  • 2019: After a two-year hiatus following the end of his second chance with Ngani-Casara, Lebo M revealed he was engaged to Ntsala in hopes this romantic production would be a smash.
  • 2020: Barely seeing Valentine's Day that year, Lebo M and Ntsala were over. Ntsala shared with Sunday World that she was happy for him and that the relationship had run its course like any other.

ANGELA NGANI-CASARA (2020 to2021)

  • 2020: While the rest of us were dodging covid-19, Ngani-Casara and Lebo M were falling deeply in love with each other again. The pair rekindled their romance and moved into a family home.
  • April 2021: The couple again expressed that their third attempt was not fruitful with no reasons given for the split.
  • July 2021: During this time they filmed Lebo M: Coming Home which followed the producer's life and family. The show would reveal cracks in their relationship.

PRETTY SAMUELS (2021 to 2023)

  • October 2021: Reports about Samuels and Lebo M circled and it was clear love was in the air. Samuels at the time was president of The Lebo M Foundation.
  • February 2022: After a reality show romance, it would seem Lebo M was looking for a lot more privacy when he and Samuels tied the knot in secret months into their relationship.
  • February 2023: The couple seemed to be in a good place when they both shared Instagram posts celebrating their one year anniversary.
  • August 2023: Lebo M announced the split with few details given. 

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