*VP’s nephew in toxic row with ex-wife *Estate to be auctioned to pay Khanda Bus Services owner
A Borolong woman is racing against time to save her two houses set for auction next Friday to pay off a P172, 000 debt.
59-year-old Nelia Major, a vendor and spiritual healer in a local church, could be homeless by next week unless she can settle a nine-year debt owed to Witness Khanda of Khanda Bus Services.
In an exclusive interview with The Voice, an emotional Major said she can’t bear the thought of losing her homes to pay for a debt she insists she played no part in.
She claims the debt was all her ex-husband, Armstrong Tumelo Mosweu’s doing, incurred during happier times.
“I met my ex-husband in 1990. He came claiming to have been sent by the Holy Spirit from his home in Rakops to find a wife in Borolong, and that I was what God showed him in the spirit,” recalled Major, who is a Sub-Bishop at St Marks Church.
“At first I wasn’t impressed by his patched up khakhi trousers, but being a religious person myself I decided to give it a shot and we were soon married,” said Major, adding that the current Vice President Slumber Tsogwane, who’s Mosweu’s uncle, was part of the team that came to Borolong to negotiate her dowry.
According to Major the first couple of years were good as she managed to get her husband a job as a driver at OK Fruit and Vegetables where he collected stock from South Africa and Zimbabwe.
“I already had two plots in Borolong and him being a traditional man, and me being an obedient wife and also blinded by love he asked me to change the plot into his names and I obliged. His reasoning was that it wouldn’t look good for him as a man to stay in a yard owned by a woman!” continued Major.
She further told The Voice that around 2010 her husband, who was friends with Khanda, got into a deal with the latter and started buying cattle for him.
“Cattle was cheaper in Rakops, so Khanda would give me the money which I would send to Mosweu to buy cattle. I was the go between and I was the one who signed that indeed I received money from Khanda. It is now these signed agreements which I was doing on behalf of my then husband that have landed me in trouble,” she said.
Major said when the time came for Khanda to collect his cattle from Mosweu around 2013, her by-then ex-husband claimed all the cattle had died.
“I had no idea that the cattle had died since we were no longer together after I’d caught him with other women countless times,” she said.
“Now with my signature acknowledging receipt of the money, my property was attached while Mosweu’s is safe in Rakops. I was used for trusting two men. Khanda clearly knows that I don’t owe him. He told me to my face that I was a fool for signing the documents,” cried Major.
This claim was further supported by Major’s mother, Matilda Major, 74, who said she gave her daughter bricks to build her first house and a fence for the couple’s first yard.
“Now she’s going to lose it all. If it was possible, I’d just swallow my child to protect her from these ruthless men,” said the teary eyed old woman.
When contacted about his ex-wife’s allegations, 68-year-old Mosweu claimed Major was being economical with the truth and may be attempting to tarnish his reputation.
The renowned Rakops farmer admitted that he indeed borrowed P35, 000 from Khanda in 2011 but maintained the money was to buy a car and a truck.
“We failed to pay the debt and now our plots have been attached. She’s not telling the truth, one of the plots is mine – you can check documents, it’s in my names!” insisted Mosweu.
Meanwhile, Khanda referred all questions to his attorney, Isaac Seleka who confirmed that he has instructed the sheriff to go ahead with the auction unless ‘something drastic happens’ before the Friday deadline.
