North West businessman Benjy Maponya has broken a three-year silence over a bitter business dispute with former friend and business partner Solomon “Solly” Soka Madibela, alleging that a relationship built on trust ended with him being cut out of a mining venture that he says he helped establish.
In a lengthy Facebook statement published on 7 October 2026, Maponya said he decided to tell his side of the story after remaining silent while Madibela spoke publicly about his own financial struggles.
At the centre of Maponya’s allegations is the N4 Cluster mining operation, which he says he founded.
According to Maponya, he was appointed by Samancor alongside VJ Coal for an opencast project at Buffels West. He says VJ Coal was later liquidated and he was advised to bring in a technical partner.
Maponya says he then approached Madibela, whom he regarded as a close friend and “like a brother”.
“We used to share a 2kg chicken portion. I used to borrow him my car. We were like brothers.”
He says the two companies subsequently entered into a joint venture, with agreements signed and an agreed percentage of the contract allocated to each party.
Maponya alleges that several months into the contract, he began noticing discrepancies in payments. He says his attempts to raise the issue resulted in arguments and that he was eventually informed that he would no longer receive his shares as provided for in their agreement.
He alleges that a number of conditions were attached to the continuation of his payments.
Among them, Maponya says, was a demand that he leave his wife, relocate from his home in Hartbeespoort to Majakaneng, stop hosting soccer tournaments and community events, stop building houses for people in the community and leave Facebook.
He also claims that one of the major points of conflict was an alleged insistence that he accompany Madibela to a traditional healer.
Maponya says he refused the demands.
“I refused all of it.”
He alleges that he was subsequently cut off from his shares and denied access to the business premises.
According to his account, he was later informed that the tender was being re-advertised, despite his understanding that their agreement would remain in place for the lifespan of the opencast operation.
Maponya alleges that the opportunity ultimately went to Madibela’s company.
He maintains that his contract was never formally terminated and therefore remains valid.
“I still have a valid contract but I was never informed of any termination.”
Maponya says Samancor has records relating to his appointment and the arrangements surrounding the project.
Samancor’s publicly available material confirms that its Western Chrome Mines operate in the Mooinooi area of North West and include mining operations around Buffelsfontein. However, the public material reviewed does not independently establish the specific contractual history, ownership claims or alleged dispute described by Maponya. (Samancor Chrome)
The financial fallout
Maponya says the collapse of the business relationship had severe consequences for his personal finances.
He says he had purchased a house in Hartbeespoort valued at approximately R2.1 million and was paying about R115,000 a month, with around R700,000 still outstanding.
According to Maponya, after his income from the mining venture stopped, he was unable to maintain the payments for more than nine months and eventually had to surrender the property.
He and his wife later moved to Majakaneng, where he says they built a three-room structure on family property.
Despite saying he believes he still has a valid contract, Maponya says he has been unable to challenge the matter in court because he cannot afford the legal costs.
He says he instead chose to rebuild his life with his wife.
“I decided to leave it and start a new life with my wife — the woman I chose over money.”
Why he is speaking now
Maponya says he previously declined interview requests from two major South African broadcasters because he wanted to move on from the dispute.
He says he has now decided to speak after what he describes as renewed attempts to attack and discredit him.
He further alleges that he has been targeted because of his efforts to seek justice in connection with the killing of another person, whom he says was allegedly murdered by five known individuals who remain at large.
Maponya also alleges that voice notes were circulated in an attempt to implicate him in rape allegations. He describes those allegations as fabricated.
He did not provide evidence publicly to substantiate those claims in his Facebook statement.
Maponya says he fears for his safety and that of his family following what he describes as an incident three years ago in which people posing as police officers allegedly went to his home.
He is now appealing to broadcasters that previously approached him and to people willing to assist with funding and personal security.
“My silence about our story does not mean I have nothing to say.”
Maponya’s allegations about Madibela, the mining venture, the alleged contractual dispute and the other incidents remain his account of events. They have not been independently established in the available public material reviewed for this report.
Madibela’s response to the allegations was not available at the time of publication.
