In a harrowing series of social media posts that have since gone viral, social media personality and businesswoman Karabo Khakhu, better known as Jelly Babie, has laid bare the traumatic details of her 11-month marriage to a traditional healer she says manipulated her out of over R2 million, physically abused her, and left her contemplating suicide.
The 28-year-old influencer, known for her glamorous lifestyle and candid online presence, shared screenshots of bank transfers, photographs of bleeding bruises on her knees and legs, and a lengthy, tearful video in which she detailed what she described as “the darkest year of my life.”
“I am sharing this because I refuse to die in silence,” Khakhu wrote in the caption of her first post, which has been shared over 50,000 times. “I almost did die. More than once. And the man who was supposed to protect me, who I called my husband, is the one who pushed me to the edge.”
The Money: ‘Spiritual Saving’ or Sophisticated Theft?
According to Khakhu’s detailed account, the financial exploitation began within weeks of her marriage to the traditional healer, whom she identifies as 34-year-old Thabo “Mkhulu” Dlamini. Dlamini, who practices as a sangoma and inyanga in Soweto, allegedly convinced Khakhu that her wealth was “cursed” and that she needed to transfer her savings to him for “spiritual cleansing and safekeeping.”
“She told me that my ancestors were angry because I had accumulated wealth without honoring them properly,” Khakhu recounted in her video, her voice breaking. “He said the only way to protect me was to move all my money into his spiritual account, where it would be ‘washed’ over 90 days. I believed him. I was stupid. I believed him because he was my husband.”
Over a period of approximately six months, Khakhu says she transferred a total of R2,090,288.08 from her business accounts and personal savings into Dlamini’s bank accounts. The transfers, screenshots of which she has made public, range from R50,000 to R350,000 and are timestamped across multiple dates.
“When the 90 days passed, I asked for my money back,” she said. “He laughed. He said the ancestors had ‘accepted’ the money as an offering and that I should be grateful. That is when I realized I had been played. He was never a healer. He was a thief in a spiritual costume.”
Khakhu further alleges that Dlamini used her money to fund a lavish lifestyle that did not include her. Bank statements she claims to have obtained through a private investigator show payments to luxury hotels, car rental agencies, and transfers to several women whose identities she says she has since verified.
“I found out he was paying rent for three other women,” she said. “He bought one of them a car. He took another one on a trip to Mozambique. All with my money. The money I worked for. The money I saved. The money I trusted him with.”
The Physical Abuse: ‘He Beat Me Because I Asked Questions’
The financial betrayal, while devastating, is only part of the story. Khakhu also shared graphic photographs of her body covered in bruises—dark purple and yellowing marks on her knees, shins, thighs, and arms. She claims these injuries resulted from multiple violent confrontations with Dlamini, triggered whenever she confronted him about his infidelity or demanded her money back.
“The first time he hit me was because I asked him why he was liking another woman’s photos on Instagram,” she said. “He slapped me so hard I fell off the bed. Then he kicked me. He said I was ‘disrespecting his spiritual authority.'”
In one particularly disturbing incident, Khakhu alleges Dlamini locked her in a bedroom for two days without food or water after she threatened to report him to the police.
“He said no one would believe me,” she recalled. “He said I was a ‘loose woman’ with a bad reputation. He said the police would laugh at me. And the worst part? I believed him. For months, I believed him.”
The photographs she shared show bruises on her knees consistent with being forced to kneel for extended periods. In her posts, Khakhu claims Dlamini would make her kneel on concrete floors for hours as “punishment” while he lectured her on obedience.
“I have scars now,” she wrote. “Not just on my body. On my soul. I don’t sleep. I don’t eat. I don’t trust anyone. He destroyed me.”
Suicide Attempts and Mental Trauma
Perhaps the most heartbreaking aspect of Khakhu’s revelations is her admission of multiple suicide attempts during and immediately after the marriage.
“I tried to kill myself three times,” she said in her video, wiping away tears. “The first time, I took a bottle of pills. The second time, I stood on the edge of a bridge in Midrand. A stranger pulled me back. The third time, I tried to cut my wrists. I woke up in a hospital. My mother was crying. My sister was crying. I realized then that I couldn’t let him win. I couldn’t let him be the reason I died.”
Khakhu says she has since been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), severe anxiety, and clinical depression. She is currently seeing a therapist and taking medication, though she admits the road to recovery is long.
“Some days I cannot get out of bed,” she wrote. “Some days I look in the mirror and I do not recognize myself. I used to be so full of life. I used to laugh. Now I flinch when someone raises their voice. I sleep with a light on. I check my locks three times before bed. He did that. He did all of that.”
The Husband’s Response: ‘Old Injuries’ and Counterclaims
Dlamini has not remained silent. In a series of posts on his own social media accounts, as well as in a brief interview with a local news outlet, he has denied the allegations, claiming that Khakhu is “mentally unstable” and that the bruises she shared are “old injuries from December 2024.”
“Those pictures are from months ago,” Dlamini said in a video statement. “She fell down the stairs in December. I have medical records. She is trying to destroy my name because I left her. She could not handle that I ended the marriage.”
Regarding the R2 million, Dlamini claims the money was given freely as “spiritual offerings” and that Khakhu “understood fully what she was doing.”
“I am a traditional healer. My work is not free. People pay me for my services. She paid me. There is no theft. There is no manipulation. She is a liar.”
When asked about the allegations of physical abuse and the photographs of bruises, Dlamini dismissed them as “fabricated” and suggested that Khakhu may have injured herself “for attention.”
“This is what women do when they are scorned,” he said. “They cry abuse. They cry rape. They destroy men’s lives with lies. I have evidence. I will clear my name in court.”
Khakhu has since responded to his claims, calling them “disgusting” and “exactly what an abuser would say.”
“He is gaslighting the entire country,” she said. “He is calling me crazy. He is calling me a liar. That is what they do. That is the playbook. But I have bank statements. I have medical records. I have witnesses. And I have the truth.”
Online Reaction: Sympathy, Skepticism, and Karma
As with any viral controversy, public reaction has been sharply divided.
Thousands of social media users have expressed sympathy for Khakhu, praising her courage for speaking out and calling for Dlamini’s arrest. The hashtag #JusticeForJellyBabie trended briefly on Twitter (X), with many users sharing resources for survivors of gender-based violence.
“This is heartbreaking,” wrote one user. “She trusted him with her money, her body, her soul. And he destroyed all of it. Men like this belong in jail, not in a sangoma’s robes.”
Another added: “We need to stop romanticizing traditional healers as automatically good people. Some of them are con artists and abusers hiding behind spirituality. Jelly Babie is brave for exposing this.”
However, a significant number of commenters have been less sympathetic. Some have pointed to Khakhu’s own past behavior—including previous public feuds, controversial statements, and her history of dating older, wealthy men—as evidence that she is “reaping what she sowed.”
“Where was all this concern when she was flexing on Instagram with money she clearly didn’t earn legitimately?” wrote a critic. “Karma does not care about your feelings.”
Others questioned why Khakhu transferred such large sums of money without seeking legal advice. “I am sorry she was abused, that is never okay,” wrote another user. “But R2 million? You just transferred R2 million to someone you knew for a few months? At some point, you have to take responsibility for your own choices.”
Khakhu has addressed these criticisms directly. “Yes, I was naive. Yes, I was stupid. Yes, I ignored red flags. I have admitted all of that. But that does not make his abuse okay. That does not make theft legal. I am not asking for pity. I am asking for justice.”
The Broader Conversation: Gender-Based Violence and Spiritual Exploitation
Jelly Babie’s story has reignited two urgent conversations in South Africa: the epidemic of gender-based violence (GBV) and the vulnerability of women to spiritual and financial exploitation.
South Africa has some of the highest rates of GBV in the world. According to the latest Police Crime Statistics, over 10,000 women were murdered in the past five years, and thousands more experience physical and emotional abuse daily. Activists have long argued that the criminal justice system fails to protect victims, with low conviction rates and police often dismissing abuse claims as “domestic disputes.”
“We see this pattern again and again,” said Amanda Mkhize, a GBV counselor based in Soweto. “A woman comes forward with evidence—photographs, medical reports, witness statements—and she is still met with skepticism. ‘Why did you stay?’ ‘Why did you give him money?’ ‘Why didn’t you leave sooner?’ These questions blame the victim and excuse the abuser. It has to stop.”
The case also highlights the phenomenon of spiritual exploitation, where traditional healers or religious figures use their perceived authority to manipulate vulnerable individuals for financial or personal gain.
“It is more common than people realize,” said Dr. Mpho Mkhwanazi, a sociologist specializing in African spirituality. “There are genuine traditional healers who practice with integrity and provide real help to their communities. But there are also predators who use the language of ancestors and spirituality to gain trust and exploit people, especially women. The two must not be confused.”
Legal Action and What Happens Next
Khakhu has confirmed that she has opened a case of theft and assault against Dlamini at the Midrand Police Station. Police spokesperson Colonel Mavela Masondo confirmed that a case is under investigation but declined to provide further details, saying “the matter is sensitive and involves multiple complainants.”
Khakhu’s legal representative, advocate Lerato Mofokeng, said the legal team is also exploring civil action to recover the R2 million.
“We have bank records, sworn affidavits, and corroborating witness testimony,” Mofokeng said. “The evidence is overwhelming. This is not a he-said-she-said situation. This is a paper trail of theft and a medical trail of abuse. We are confident that justice will prevail.”
Dlamini, meanwhile, has not been arrested and remains free. His lawyer, who has not been named publicly, has indicated that Dlamini intends to file a defamation lawsuit against Khakhu “for the malicious and false statements she has made.”
A Survivor’s Message
As of this publication, Khakhu remains active on social media, continuing to share her story and respond to both supporters and critics. She has also started a new Instagram account dedicated to raising awareness about spiritual abuse and financial exploitation, which has already gained over 100,000 followers.
“I am not a victim,” she said in her final post of the night. “I was a victim. Past tense. Now I am a survivor. And survivors fight back. Not with fists. With truth. With evidence. With voice. He took my money. He took my peace. He took my dignity. But he did not take my life. And as long as I am breathing, I will make sure no other woman falls into the same trap I did.”
She ended with a direct message to Dlamini: “You can deny it. You can call me crazy. You can say the bruises are old. But God sees. The ancestors see. The whole world is watching now. And the truth always, always comes out.”
For now, the country watches—and waits—to see whether that truth will be enough to secure justice for Jelly Babie.
About The Author
