North West businessman Benjy Maponya has broken his three-year silence over a bitter business dispute involving his former friend and business partner, mining businessman Solomon “Solly” Soka Madibela of MySol Holding.
Maponya says he remained silent while Madibela publicly discussed his own financial struggles, but has now decided to tell his side of the story. He claims he was the original founder of the N4 Cluster mining operation and alleges that his partnership with Madibela eventually collapsed after disagreements over money and control of the business.
According to Maponya, he was initially appointed by Samancor, together with VJ Coal, to work on an opencast mining project at Buffels West. After VJ Coal was liquidated, he says he needed a technical partner and approached Madibela, whom he regarded as a close friend and brother.
Maponya recalls that their relationship was once based on deep trust and friendship.
He claims the two entered into a joint venture agreement, but disputes over payments reportedly emerged within months. According to Maponya, tensions escalated and he was eventually excluded from the business.
He further alleges that he was presented with several personal conditions if he wanted to continue receiving payments. These allegedly included leaving his wife, moving from his Hartbeespoort home to Majakaneng, stopping community initiatives such as soccer tournaments and housing projects, and deleting his Facebook account.
Maponya says he rejected the demands, including an alleged request that he accompany Madibela to a traditional healer because he did not share those beliefs.
He claims that shortly afterwards he was locked out of the business premises. Maponya further alleges that the mining tender was later re-advertised and ultimately taken over by Madibela’s company, despite what he says was an existing agreement intended to remain in place for the lifespan of the mine.
Maponya maintains that his contract remains valid and says Samancor has documentation relating to the arrangement.
The alleged business fallout also had a serious impact on his personal finances. Maponya says he had purchased a house in Hartbeespoort for approximately R2.1 million and was paying about R115,000 a month. With roughly R700,000 still outstanding, he says the sudden loss of income left him unable to maintain the payments for nine months, eventually forcing him to surrender the property.
He and his wife subsequently moved to Majakaneng, where they built a modest three-room home on a relative’s property.
Maponya says he could not afford to pursue the matter through the courts and chose instead to rebuild his life with his wife.
He claims he previously declined interview requests from major broadcasters because he wanted to avoid public confrontation. However, he now says alleged attempts to intimidate and discredit him have prompted him to speak publicly.
Maponya also alleges that he has faced threats and attempts to link him to fabricated criminal accusations. He says he fears for his family’s safety and recalls an incident three years ago in which individuals allegedly posing as police officers went to his home.
As he makes his allegations public, Maponya is appealing to broadcasters that previously approached him, as well as independent funders, to assist him in pursuing what he describes as a fight for justice.
The claims made by Maponya remain allegations, and the dispute would require supporting documentation and responses from the other parties before they can be independently verified.
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