South African sportscaster Mpho Maboi, says she decided to walk away from her marriage to former Kaizer Chiefs star Reneilwe “Yeye” Letsholonyane, after she realised that marriage was bringing more sorrow than happiness into both their lives.
The power couple divorced in 2021 for unspecified reasons.
Some have claimed that Maboi walked away from Yeye after the realisation that his life would be less glamorous after the end of his playing career.
In an interview on 702, the SuperSport presenter said she believed that she would still be with the former football star if they had never got married.
“We underwent a divorce and maintained silence about it. Speculation arose, assuming the involvement of a third party or financial issues. The most detrimental factor to my marriage was the institution itself.
“I strongly believe that had we refrained from marriage, we might still be together. Marriage alters everything—from how others perceive you to how your family sees you. It brings about profound changes,” she said.
Maboi said that the couple had tried to make things work several times, to no avail.
“I distinctly recall a deep sense of sadness, realising this wasn’t what I desired or envisioned. Happiness is paramount to me, and I often communicated to him, ‘I’m not happy. For me, I feel like it’s not the end point for everyone.
“Not everybody wants to get married. The whole marriage thing, can we not shove it down people’s throats.”
Maboi dispelled suggestions that she might have been with the former Kaizer Chiefs footballer for money.
“Black people don’t know love. For us, for love to make sense, especially if it’s with someone they assume you should not be with in the first place, they assume it can only because there’s money,” she said.