The court case against Makgotso Mofokeng, widely known as Gogo Maweni, a controversial traditional healer and media personality, has been adjourned to January 27 for a formal bail application.
Following her brief appearance in the Protea Magistrates Court in Soweto on Monday, Maweni was remanded in custody while facing charges, including alleged assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH) from an incident dating back to 2019.
The 39-year-old healer was arrested on Sunday at around 3pm.
According to police reports, the Gauteng Province Cold Case Investigation Unit conducted an intelligence operation that ultimately led to her apprehension in the Mondeor area. Officers noted Maweni was not only charged in connection with the 2019 assault but also has a separate pending matter from 2017.
Additionally, troubling allegations of murder have emerged, linking her to multiple murder cases from 2020 to 2024.
In a dramatic twist, fellow traditional healer Patricia “Gogo Skhotheni” Motsoeneng has publicly accused Maweni of involvement in two specific murder cases, including the alleged assassination of her best friend’s husband.
In the viral video, Gogo Skhotheni publicly accuses Maweni of orchestrating the alleged murder of her best friend’s husband, known as King Precious.
Skhotheni alleges that Maweni manipulated Precious into asking her husband to retrieve a supposed gift outside their home and says Maweni allegedly sent hitmen to fatally ambush and kill the husband who is reported to have been shot six times during this incident.
During the court proceedings, Maweni’s advocate, Marcia Makuse, opposed a media request for permission to record and broadcast the session, arguing that the coverage could adversely affect her client’s personal and professional life. However, Magistrate Rozelle Khiye ruled that the principles of justice and media freedom outweighed these concerns, allowing the media to cover the case.
In her defence, Makuse stressed that Maweni is a mother of four children aged 12, 8, 7, and 6 and that negative publicity could harm both her family and her career as a traditional healer.
“We oppose the application as my client is a public figure, and with the negative headlines, she may not receive a fair trial,” said Makuse.
“The repercussions of this case could extend to her ability to provide for her children and run her business effectively. If her clients were to read and hear negative things about her, that will affect her career,“‘ her legal counsel argued in court.