Arthur Mafokate claims to have suffered depression during assault trial

Arthur Mafokate has broken his silence following the Midrand magistrates court's judgment last week to acquit him of assault charges.

The charges were brought against him by his former girlfriend Busisiwe “Cici” Twala in 2017 after an altercation between them allegedly turned violent. 

The ruling brought to an end a two-year long trial and speaking to Sunday World recently, Arthur said the matter had affected him "in a big way".

He explained that he stopped releasing, performing and producing music during the trial, and lost "big contracts worth millions".

He said he was embarrassed and humiliated when he was removed from the boards of Moshito and Samro because of the case and was unable to contest to become treasurer-general of CCIFSA (Cultural and Creative Industries Federation of South Africa).

He also claimed to have suffered severe depression when anti-women-abuse activists campaigned against him.

“My kids were humiliated by their friends as a result of this case. One day I went to a restaurant and I found a group of women eating, but then they left when I sat down a few paces away from them. I have gone through all this for something I never did,” he added.

Speaking to TshisaLIVE last week, Arthur's lawyer Daniel Nakeng claimed a lot of the star's dignity had been taken away from him during the trial.

"He has mixed feelings as a lot of time and dignity has been taken away from him and it would take many years to rebuild," Daniel said. 

Responding to the judgment, Cici told her followers on social media that she would not give up the fight and planned to open a civil lawsuit against Arthur.

“I said to you in the beginning of this whole thing that I will fight for justice to the very end, and this is not the end. This is not going to be our narrative as women,” she said in a video on Instagram.

“My fight will continue until the truth is brought to light. We're not done,” she added.