BUSINESSMAN Musa Mseleku (43) wants to change people’s perception about polygamy. That is why he has opened his home for television cameras to follow his life and that of his four wives and children to record a reality show called Uthando neSthembu.
TOUGH TIME
The show recently premiered on Mzansi Magic where viewers get to know his large and colourful family. His family consists of MaMkhulu (first wife), MaYeni (second wife), MaKhumalo (third wife), MaNgwabe (fourth wife) and their 10 children. Initially he had five wives but the fifth one passed away after a car accident. “It was a tough time for me because she was one of the wives that I deeply confided in. I am not saying I don’t do that with my other wives, but there will always be that one who knows you better than the others,” he says.
ABOUT THE SHOW
Musa, who is also an author, says he always wanted to have a show about polygamy but it took time for his wives to open up to the idea. “It wasn’t easy for them to agree because they knew that they would be criticised by people. They finally agreed to be filmed because they saw where I was going with this idea as I wanted to teach people about polygamy,” he tells Move!. Musa, who is into social investment projects and logistics, says he hopes that the show will lift the lid on polygamy and erase some stereotypes. The show is filmed at the Mselekus’ rural homestead in kwaMadlala, KwaZulu-Natal’s south coast. Musa says viewers will see that “polygamy is a lifestyle that works when everyone is involved, this means the man and the women. If there are tensions it will not work at all.”
BEING A POLYGAMIST
Musa says most people say they want to be like him without knowing why he got himself in polygamy. “I didn’t wake up one day and said that I want to be a polygamist. I had to take into account how I was going to take care of my family,” he says. “I just saw how most women were being abused by their partners. I then got myself into polygamy to protect my wives and also teach other men how they must work hard for their families.” He also warns men that cheating is the devil’s work that they should avoid at all costs. “Men should be responsible for their actions and stop treating their partners as objects,” he says.
GROWING UP
Before Musa ventured into business, he worked as a journalist for Durban Youth Radio before joining SABC News. He says he was working for Ukhozi FM when he decided to quit after his mother got sick. He says since he had several girlfriends while growing up, he knew then that he would have more than one wife. “When my grandmother was alive I told her I was not going to have one wife. She thought I just wanted to explore things but that continued with me,” he says.
