His marriage has been making headlines for the past three weeks after he announced that he is parting ways with his wife of barely two years, Pretty Samuels-Morake. Award-winning producer and music composer Lebo M has since kicked out Pretty from their marital home, an upmarket Estate in Midrand. He has demanded the Mercedes Benz that he had brought for her be returned and her clothes await collection, packed and stored in boxes in the double garage of his mansion.

FINDING MUTHI

An insider tells ZiMoja after Pretty dropped the car on Sunday evening at a shopping complex nearby, Lebo M dashed off to collect it. The next day, Lebo’s staff members were instructed to pack her belongings in boxes for her to collect. It was at this time, the helper and his assistant found muthi stashed away in the corners. "It was the assistant who saw a plastic bag full of weird-smelling stuff. She thought it was bath salts, but the helper told her, it might not be," the insider says. "When she showed Mr. M, he was shocked and in utter disbelief that the woman he loved did not declare that she might be using muthi. Well, that’s if it belongs to her. But he also wasn’t sure, but they continued to look around the house." The insider says, on a tree on the west wing, they found something peculiar hanging from a branch. "It was just so weird. It was almost like someone had intentionally put it there." The source says the muthi resembles African traditional cleaning medicines. "Pink salts, blue salts, and some stuff that you put under your tongue and mouth - according to instructions. He adds that Lebo M has called various traditionalists who have confirmed that it is indeed muthi that was found at his home. "But they are not sure of the intentions or why the muthi is there. But he is not bothered. He doesn’t care much about that sort of thing. He is highly protected, he knows. People have advised him to go for a cleansing and all of that, but he is not bothered."

WHAT A SANGOMA SAYS

After receiving images of the muthi-like packets. ZiMoja confirmed with a sangoma that it is indeed muthi. "But I can’t say exactly what these are for, but to me, they look like iziwasho, to cleanse. But these could be used in a good or bad way," the healer says. "But one of these is to be able to have a hold on someone, almost hypnotise them in a way by their words. So, you put it under your tongue and when you speak to them, they are almost enchanted by you. People use this for interviews and some with lovers, depending." The sangoma says he is unaware of the plant hanging from the tree. "It could be anything. It does not look like something that I recognise. But I would advise someone come into the home, burn some of the muthi and cleanse the space and the owner of the home and possibly his or her family."

AWAITING SUMMONS

Pretty has since released a statement saying she has not received any divorce summons and she will no longer be responding to any media questions fuelled by fake news and misrepresentation of the truth. "I refuse to be part of the mediocre media smear campaign against a defenceless woman," she said in the statement. "A marriage is not about two people, a marriage binds families as well. As a wife, I will not be drawn to defending or commenting any further on mine and my family’s private affairs as I respect both the Morake and Samuels families." Lebo M’s management refused to comment on the matter.