Gogo Maweni talks fame, controversy and being authentic despite backlash

Reality TV star and real life sangoma Makgotso Lee-Ann Mokopo, popularly known as Gogo Maweni has shared that she remains unbothered by the insults hurled at her or the labels she's amassed along with her fame, which include being called a “witch”.

The iZangoma Zodumo star has frequently shot up Mzansi's trends list being as tweeps questioned her authenticity as a traditional healer, especially since she's seemingly proud of the dark side of her power.

But the sangoma ain't moved by naysayers and stands by the saying that 'there's no such things as bad publicity'.

“I'm not losing anything, instead, I'm gaining so keep talking ... If you've never spent five minutes with me, you don't know who I am [and] you believe whatever people are saying about me — which is OK.” 

“It's funny, I always say that while on Twitter, people will talk bad about me but when I walk the streets, everybody wants to take a picture and I ask myself who are these people that are talking bad about me but that is what drives me — the bad comments,” she tells TshisaLIVE.

Gogo Maweni is among the “new age” healers who share topics related to ubungoma on the social media timeline and she's not looking to back down.

“I'm annoying some people and when you start annoying people it means you are getting to where you want to go. People must acknowledge who you are as a spirit and as me being me.”

Gogo Maweni said above the controversy she believes her story is worth telling because her ancestors not only saved the life of her first born son but also healed her from past relationships that were laced with drug addictions, abortion, and false promises.

The reality TV star is a mother to three children — her firstborn son from her previous relationship with an unidentified American man, her second son with actor Sthembiso Khoza and another with former soccer star Siyabonga Zulu.

“They [ancestors] took me out of a lot ... I know how much I get out of it, they saved me. They saved me through that relationship, they've saved me through the next relationship and I'm here now, I'm here to make a noise.”

She now has her husband, Sabelo Magube, to lean on when she faces backlash on social media.

“He's loving, he's caring and I thank God that he stepped in when I  am raising sons ... he's very respectful... My husband will bend over backwards and frontwards to make sure that I'm OK as much as I would do that for him ... I had to kiss frogs to find him.”

With Gogo Maweni being in the spotlight, inevitably, her husband has also faced the wrath of trolls with them claiming he lives off of her.

“People don't know what he does. He has his own company, he's hands on in my company.' she clarifies.

“He's the one that wipes my tears every time I cry and he says it's because you're strong, it's because you're powerful, they need to talk about you so that people can listen to them, so it's OK and I've learnt it's OK. We laugh because behind closed doors you don't know how we live and I've learnt throughout the years that everybody will say whatever they want to say about you.”

While many have shared their opinions deeming that Gogo Maweni's approach to ubungoma is undoing the progress made since the amendment of the Witchcraft Suppression Act in 1957, the reality TV star sees no error in her ways.