JOHANNESBURG – Social media influencer and controversial blogger Musa Khawula is facing yet another defamation lawsuit, this time from prominent businessman Ze Nxumalo, potentially landing him back in prison.
The legal action stems from allegations of infidelity Khawula levelled against Nxumalo earlier this month on the X platform (formerly Twitter).
The controversy erupted on 12 October when Khawula posted a photograph of Nxumalo's wife, Dr Tamaryn Green, accompanied by a caption that read: “Dr Tamaryn Green – Nxumalo with a child whilst her husband Ze Nxumalo is cheating on her.”
This was followed by a more inflammatory statement, accusing Nxumalo of fraudulent behaviour and attempting to silence Khawula with fake electronic wallet payments.
The post stated: "Hi babes @tamarynGreen tell your husband Ze Nxumalo and his lil friends to stop sending me fake e-wallets to stop me from talking about how he cheated on you whilst you with his child, also Tamaryn Green Nxumalo baby, all the best with the rest of your pregnancy, your lil gay friend said you are going through all kinds of hell carrying Ze Nxumalo’s child while he cheated on you…"
Nxumalo’s legal team responded swiftly, issuing a letter of demand dated 14 October. The letter demands a retraction of the allegations and a public apology, warning of potential charges of crimen injuria should Khawula fail to comply.
The letter explicitly states: “You were purposefully misguiding the members of the public by stating that Mr Nxumalo has had multiple extra-marital affairs, thus cheating on his wife, Dr Green Nxumalo, with another woman, including with a Ms Mokoena.”
It further alleges that: “Dr Green Nxumalo has directly or indirectly solicited the assistance of his friends to send fake e-wallets to stop you from disclosing Mr Nxumalo’s purported extra-marital affairs.”
The letter provides Khawula with a two-day ultimatum to retract the statements or face legal action. It concludes with a stark warning: "Take note that, should our client be forced to institute legal proceedings against you, a copy of this letter together with your response will be used in support of same. There will thus be no doubt you have been made aware of the unlawfulness of your posts and your conduct, as well as the legal basis of your clients demands and your obligations to adhere."
This latest legal battle comes as Khawula is still reeling from a previous defamation case. In July, a Johannesburg High Court, presided over by Acting Judge Karen Beyers, sentenced him to up to 90 days in prison for contempt of court. This stemmed from his refusal to comply with a previous court order obtained by ANC General Secretary Fikile Mbalula’s wife, Nozuko Mbalula, prohibiting him from spreading defamatory allegations against her on X.
The allegations involved claims that Nozuko had allegedly paid a person identified as Nomthandazo Masupye to secure lucrative government tenders worth R150 million between 2013 and 2019. Khawula's failure to retract these statements and offer an apology resulted in the prison sentence.
A previous ruling in June by Judge Nicolene Janse van Nieuwenhuizen of the same court had already directed Khawula to retract a different thread from his social media account. This pattern of legal challenges underscores the potential consequences of spreading unsubstantiated allegations on social media, particularly for public figures.
