Baba Mthethwa allegedly accused of conning a Durban woman out of her money

SuperSport soccer commentator Baba Mthethwa is accused of allegedly conning a Durban woman out of her money after false promises to marry her reports Sunday World.

A friend of the victim, who asked not to be named, said Mthethwa met Jabu Gumbi in Durban in November last year . "They started dating in November and already Baba Mthethwa was asking money from my friend," said the friend.

The friend said Gumbi complained that Mthethwa had not paid back the money she had lent him. "He asked my friend to loan him money claiming that SARS had frozen his accounts. He never returned the money," said the friend.

Gumbi confirmed that she gave Mthethwa money when he told her that his accounts were frozen. She also confirmed their romantic relationship. "Yes, we were in a relationship for four months and got engaged in February this year but I had to end things with him," she said.

"He hurt me emotionally and financially," she said. "I trusted and loved him and all the promises he made about money sounded real." Four months after the relationship, Mthethwa proposed to her.

"He engaged me while we were at a hotel in Durban. He bought a nice 'diamond' ring and I said yes."

Gumbi said not one of the promises Mthethwa made had materialised. "Eventually, I decided that all that I was doing for him, I would do it out of love. I spent a lot of money and I don't think he would ever reimburse me even if I took him to court."

Mthethwa did not want to comment and said he would ask his lawyers to comment on his behalf. Two weeks after questions were put to him, his lawyers did not make contact with Sunday World. He also failed to give us his lawyers' contact details.

Gumbi said one of the promises Mthethwa made was to rent an apartment for her in Newcastle in KwaZulu-Natal after they got engaged. She had to pay R22500 for rent and deposit as Mthethwa failed to make good on his promise.

whatsapp message between Jabu Gumbi and Mthethwa

"He really played me and made me look like a fool. I informed my family about the engagement and was embarrassed to tell them that I had called it off because this man was unreliable.

"He had even told my parents that he was going to pay lobola for me in February but that did not happen. Now I'm just picking up the pieces, trying to pay all the debts I have acquired during my relationship with him," she said.

Gumbi said she understands her friends' and family's fury. "I only got to tell them the truth about what has been happening a month ago. They are very angry," she said.

After she broke off the engagement, Gumbi said her friends advised her to sell the ring to recover some of the money she had lost. "I remember we laughed in disbelief when the jewellery traders told us that the ring was just silver and had no value," she said.