The fame of Katlego Maboe transcended into black culture even though it was never directly marketed towards the demographic.
From his a cappella group Flip a Coin to taking centre stage on Expresso, Maboe is not just the face of the brands he works with, he is the face of SA's ubuntu.
Something noted by his colleague Ryle De Morny on his return to Expresso earlier this week. Maboe is the "nation's family".
Maboe exists as a black man in the white world of Afrikaans culture on Dekatv, the wellspoken gent who can appease SABC3's intended audiences, a status symbol for black people in townships and an example for those who have found success in post-apartheid SA.
So it should come as no surprise that his return to morning TV was nothing short of an emotional celebration.
It is uncommon that infidelity results in you losing your job but coupled with domestic abuse claims and the allegations of him possibly infecting his ex-wife Monique Muller with an STI, Maboe's brand was now that of a philandering playboy who had no regard for the consequences.
In his own words, his life became a "hashtag factory". A factory that even Expresso took advantage of with its own, #KatIsBack.
It's no secret that women often struggle to prove abuse after it has happened but we also exist in a world where accusations made by Muller and her brother could have been lies to tarnish Maboe as his marriage was falling apart.
Was she using the abuse claims to take him down as a public figure in the era of #MeToo?
Maboe barely dealt with the issue in his return "tell-all" interview on Expresso. Muller is using her platform to work with a number of organisations that deal with domestic abuse. Maboe has been using his platform to speak about himself.
(Source: Sowetan)
