As debates continue to make the rounds about the best ways to combat the surge of intimate partner violence in the country, things have reached boiling point following Skeem Saam actor Patrick Seleka’s shocking confession on Sunday.
The actor recently posted a video on social media in which he admitted to being the main reason for the demise of his marriage to Mmabaneng Seleka.n the video, he referred to Mmabaneng’s depression, admitting that he was the main reason that she experienced this mental illness and was on antidepressants:
The main reason my wife is going through her depression – I should say all of it – is because of me. I am the reason she has been so depressed for so long, and the one thing that’s the worst is that I haven’t been there for her.
“It all started at the beginning of our marriage when I wasn’t a good person… I was just very, very bad to her, to the point that, when we started, she ended up losing her job,” he said.
In the video, the actor went on to state that he had been emotionally abusive towards his wife, mentioning that he had said and done a lot of abusive things to her.
“The one thing that’s so sad is that I keep doing it to her. I am not fixing; I am only making things worse,” he added.
He went on to say that he had been caught cheating on her, talking to ex-partners on his phone and being neglectful of their marriage. Social media did not take kindly to the confession, as many people began calling him out.
Posts on the social media app X called for his resignation from the TV show, Skeem Saam, while others stated that the confession served as a way for him to maintain his image in the public eye as Mmabaneng would continue to spill the beans on their failing marriage. It seems people on social media have the right idea as to what true accountability entails and looks like. Unfortunately for Patrick, he might have come short in this case, as his apology only opened up his wife to more scrutiny from the public, while already in a vulnerable position.
The jury is still out on whether Patrick’s apology is enough; however, no apology will ever be greater than the efforts of truly changed behaviour. Time will tell what his future looks like; however, it seems there is a silver lining for the actor, as he has also gotten some words of encouragement and support for his admission to the emotional abuse he put his wife through. While some applauded the courage to post his wrongdoings on social media, others commended him for being able to speak the truth as they encouraged both him and his wife to go and get help.