EXCLUSIVE: Boniswa Meslane slams "hypocrite" Black Coffee after alleged rape by colleague
One
of Black Coffee’s former employees, Boniswa Meslane, speaks to Thandolwethu about
her alleged rape ordeal and the DJ’s alleged lack of action.
Listen to the full interview here:
Publicist and former Soulistic Music employee, Boniswa Meslane, alleges that she was raped at her home in 2019 by Artist Manager Amaru Da Costa – another former employee of Black Coffee’s Soulistic Music.
The story has resurfaced on social media after Black Coffee organised a march against gender-based violence (GBV).
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A storm erupted on Twitter when Meslane and veteran actress and author Rosie Motene called Black Coffee "a hypocrite" for organising a march against GBV, after he had allegedly ignored the publicist's rape claims.
Speaking to Thandolwethu, Meslane talks of years of alleged physical and emotional abuse at the hands of Da Costa while working for Soulistic Music.
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Meslane says Black Coffee knew of the abuse at Soulistic Music, but didn’t do anything about it.
She describes the alleged ordeal at her home in 2019 and explains to Thandolwethu why she called out Black Coffee on social media.
Meslane says: “I used to work for [Black Coffee]... and reported abuse... but he continued to work with Amaru... and then I got raped and I reached out to him and he never said a word... I’m the woman that he knows got abused but [he’s] going to march on my behalf as a woman. Who is he going to march against?”
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Meslane wrote an open letter to Black Coffee on Twitter:
Dear @RealBlackCoffee 💕 (1) pic.twitter.com/yya9t0ZlaW
— Bonnie (@sisboniswa) June 15, 2020
(2) @RealBlackCoffee 🙏💕 pic.twitter.com/ZJuCBBekZM
— Bonnie (@sisboniswa) June 15, 2020
I was an employee at Soulistic Music under your leadership @RealBlackCoffee. I left SM in 2015 because of the emotional and psychological abuse that I reported to you and you did nothing about.
— Bonnie (@sisboniswa) June15, 2020
I worked for a PR agency for almost 2 yrs while setting up my own company.
Black Coffee’s response:
I had no contact or any form of relations with @sisboniswa since she went back to work with Amaru.
— Black Coffee (@RealBlackCoffee) June 15, 2020
This however doesn’t mean that I don’t believe her.I believe @sisboniswa I am sorry the system let her down.
Amaru Da Costa declined to comment on the matter.