It’s a messy and deeply tragic scandal—South African social media users have been captivated as Lesego Pase, mother of the late 20-month-old Kaone, faces an onslaught of accusations regarding donations she received following her son’s suspicious death.
Story Summary:
- Lesego Pase, the mother of Baby Kaone, faces backlash over donations received after her son’s death, with supporters questioning the use of funds.
- Pase claims her ex, Oberon Ndhuna, is behind a smear campaign to vilify her, allegedly even funding agitators in a WhatsApp support group.
- Baby Kaone’s passing remains clouded in mystery, and Lesego is now focused on exhuming his body as suspicions around her ex-partner deepen.
Lesego Pase blasts ex for funding smear campaign
What’s adding fuel to the fire? Pase claims her ex, Oberon Ndhuna, is orchestrating a smear campaign against her to deflect attention from his role in the ongoing investigation into Kaone’s passing.
In a recent statement, Pase announced her withdrawal from a WhatsApp support group established to assist her, stating:
“I have decided to disassociate myself from @BuzzyB_SA and some people from their WhatsApp group that was formed in ‘support’ of Baby Kaone.”
According to Pase, she faced pressure from certain members of the group, allegedly backed by her ex, to disclose detailed information about her son’s death and funds she received for legal aid.
She went on to say:
“I have been receiving threats and being coerced to disclose intricate details about the process of my son’s tragic passing.”
Why some funders have turned against Lesego
Some donors are now raising eyebrows at Pase’s handling of the funds, especially as she hasn’t shared specifics on where the donations—rumoured to have surpassed R100,000—have gone.
In response to this demand for accountability, Pase offered to refund anyone who provided proof of their donation.
“For anyone who feels that I have not updated you enough on this process and would like your donations back, please forward me POP so that it can be arranged,” she wrote.
The WhatsApp group, originally intended as a support network, has turned hostile.
Several of its members have openly questioned Pase’s use of the funds, sparking heated exchanges within the group.
One user commented:
“People want to know what she did with the money, and they are within their right to do so.”
Meanwhile, Buzzy B, the social media influencer who helped form the group, issued a public statement expressing disappointment with Pase’s accusations and announced that they would now “withdraw from further involvement and wish her strength on her journey forward.”
In a bizarre twist, Pase claims one individual from the group may have breached her bank account at Nedbank to check her financial transactions.
What happened to Baby Kaone?
The tragic passing of 20-month-old Kaone has left South Africans shaken, and the lack of clarity surrounding his death only adds to the sorrow.
Lesego Pase first took to social media with her harrowing story in October: she alleged that Oberon Ndhuna, her ex-partner and Kaone’s father, informed her via a phone call that their son had drowned in a pool.
Her doubts began to intensify when, despite Oberon’s claims of a medical emergency, neither the police nor paramedics had a record of any call to his residence that day.
Pase’s suspicions worsened when Ndhuna proceeded with Kaone’s funeral without her or her family’s presence.
This abrupt and unauthorised burial raised significant red flags for Pase, who feared that her ex might be hiding something.
Further complicating the matter, Pase shared disturbing email exchanges allegedly from Ndhuna, filled with profanities and devoid of empathy toward the mother of his deceased child.
Now, with approval from the courts, Pase has begun the heart-wrenching process of exhuming her son’s body to gather evidence and seek answers.
Until then, she has promised the public a full account of her actions with the donation money but says she needs peace and time to grieve.
As the legal process unfolds, activists and organisations like Women for Change have rallied behind Pase, urging a thorough investigation.
“A mother was denied the opportunity to bury her son with dignity,” they wrote in a call to action, emphasising the importance of justice in what has become a high-profile tragedy.
