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The woman who was accused of cheating with former Bafana Bafana defender Matthew Booth, Bongani Mthombeni - Möller, has lodged a court application seeking an order to compel Sonia Booth to remove the alleged defamatory statements on her social media accounts referring to Mthombeni - Möller’s alleged infidelity with the iconic defender.
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She revealed she met the former Mamelodi Sundowns star in 2013 while he was playing for Ajax Cape Town at a Virgin Active gymnasium and they became familiar with each other, prompting them to have coffee after exercising.
"... Matthew and I became good friends over time. We were sometimes in each other’s company, publicly with others, not only at the gymnasium and during promotions, clinics or tournaments entailed by football-empowerment initiatives, but also in social settings. Moreover, I sometimes invited Matthew to attend networking and business functions with me to introduce him to potential business affiliates.
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She also admitted that she and Booth drove together to Polokwane as indicated on Sonia’s social media posts but she argued that the trip was not romantic in nature.
"...The Polokwane Local Municipality had appointed Royal Haskoning DHV to supervise the construction of a certain project, which was scheduled to commence on November 1 2022. I often visit sites where my team is currently working or due to work as part of my oversight role, so on October 26, I visited the pre-construction site."
Her affidavit further read:
Mthombeni - Möller cited that former model and Miss South Africa contestant Sonia sought to persuade her husband that she was cheating by using social media photos that were obtained from her Instagram account.
She said in the affidavit:
"Her messages also included several photographs of Matthew and me together at a gymnasium, which she downloaded from my Instagram social media platform, where I had originally published them. On the basis of this information, the respondent sought to persuade my husband that I was having an adulterous affair with Matthew. My husband had a meeting with the respondent the following Monday, 7 November 2022. During which he reiterated her imputation against me. She recorded her conversation with my husband without my husband's knowledge or consent. This conduct of the respondent distressed my husband considerably and created enormous stress in our relationship, which we are still grappling with," she continued in her statement.
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She cited that if Sonia was not compelled by the court to remove the cheating allegations, she would continue to suffer prejudice.
"...Additionally, I have a prima facie right to the protection of my dignity, reputation and good name and while the respondent’s impugned statements about me remain accessible online through the respondent’s various social media platforms, the respondent’s breach of my rights continues on an ongoing basis..." continued her papers.
Sonia Booth's lawyer, Clement Marumoagae, said the matter was filed urgently, and it was heard on Thursday last week: "The application was dismissed with cost as the court concluded that there was no basis for urgency," he said.
Meanwhile, City Press, which contacted Mthombeni - Möller's attorney, Stephen Lamprecht, on Monday, could not get a comment on time for publishing. The story will be updated when a comment is received.
