Godfrey Thobela's DNA paternity matter is struck off court roll

Godfrey Thobela, father of the late Dingaan Thobela, left the Johannesburg high court despondent on Monday after his plea for his apparent 10 grandchildren to undergo DNA tests was struck off the roll.

In court papers seen by TimesLIVE, Godfrey said his son had expressed “uncertainty and doubts” about the paternity of his children and he wanted clarity before they benefited from the estate of the late champion boxer who died on April 29 at the age of 57.

When the judge asked him why he came to court on an urgent basis, Godfrey, 78, answered that according to his culture and tradition pregnant women should report pregnancies to the family of the alleged father of the child — and all the mothers had failed to comply with this practice, which made him also have doubts, 

The judge said the matter “was not enrolled in accordance with the rules” and therefore he could not establish urgency and so removed the matter from the roll.

Speaking exclusively to TshisaLIVE, Godfrey said he would explore legal options to allow him to finish what he had started.

“I don't feel anything but confusion because there's nothing that unfolded today. I want the DNA [tests] that's all. I am not fighting for it, I just want it and that's the truth,” he said.

Godfrey's son Bongani revealed to TshisaLIVE that because the estate was winding up, they wanted to be sure of the beneficiaries. 

“There are things that are happening behind our family's back. All the Thobelas don’t know, they just see things in the news or hear people on the street. So that is the main reason that the dad is pushing this thing,” he said. “My father wants to satisfy himself that [aspects] of the estate are dealt with. There must be a protocol that is followed under family guidance or family rules.”

Bongani went on to say that four of the 10 children claiming from the estate were unfamiliar to the Thobela family. He alluded that he knew of some of them because he used to travel with his late brother who exposed him to children who were seemingly his.

“My father doesn't want to benefit at all from his son's estate. It all actually has to go to the children and that is fair enough, but we have to protect the family the Thobela name.

“Some children are familiar and some are not so that's where the problem is. We've got one from Rustenburg, one from Mpumalanga ... with others.”

The relationship among the children and the family has been tense, said Bongani.

After the funeral, the family held a traditional cleansing ceremony but Godfrey was later served by the children with a letter of demand claiming he was occupying a property that rightfully belonged to them.

“We cannot let it lie because it will affect us. Even if it doesn't affect my father, it will affect us or our children.

“It's tense. We don't talk to each other, few of them are talking to us. It's tense because they served us with papers, coming with the police into the house. I have never brought police to my father's house. But they've got the nerve to say they are going to serve my father with a letter to come to court,” said Bongani.