In a shocking turn of events, Musa Khawula, a prominent social media entertainment commentator, was arrested at the Vredenburg Magistrate’s Court in the Western Cape on Tuesday, July 9th. The arrest took place while Khawula was making an appearance for his ongoing murder trial.
Khawula is currently facing a murder charge for the stabbing death of his ex-boyfriend, Wandile Khambule, in March 2022 in Vredenburg. According to the Sunday World, the arrest occurred after a sheriff of the court informed the magistrate that there was a warrant of arrest for the blogger pertaining to a civil case in Gauteng.
The National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) Western Cape spokesperson, Eric Ntabazalila, confirmed Khawula’s arrest, stating that his murder case has been remanded to August 7th, 2024, for a judicial review.
The civil case against Khawula stems from his allegations that Nozuko Mbalula, the wife of ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula, and her business partner, Michelle Perrow, were involved in a R150 million fraud and corruption scandal. Khawula had made these allegations in a series of posts on X (formerly known as Twitter) on May 8th.
In response, on May 28th, Judge Nicolene Janse van Nieuwenhuizen declared that Khawula’s publication of these allegations was unlawful. The judge ordered Khawula to retract the statements within 48 hours by deleting the thread from social media platforms. Additionally, the judge ruled that Khawula be interdicted from conducting any interviews or posting statements on X or any other social media platforms that implied Nozuko and Perrow’s involvement in fraud and corruption. Khawula was also ordered to pay R1 million in damages to both parties.
The series of events leading to Khawula’s arrest began in March 2022, when Sweetness Jaftha, the late Khambule’s girlfriend, spoke out about the murder incident involving Khawula. Jaftha alleged that Khawula arrived at her house in Vredenburg and demanded to see Khambule, who refused to speak to him. According to Jaftha, Khawula then chased Khambule, a photographer, with a knife and stabbed him in the chest and back, leading to his death.
In a subsequent TikTok video, the gossip blogger confessed to fatally stabbing Khambule, claiming he acted in self-defense.
The ongoing legal troubles of Musa Khawula have thrust the controversial social media entertainer into the national spotlight, raising questions about the boundaries of online commentary and the consequences of making unsubstantiated allegations. As the legal proceedings continue, the public will closely follow the developments in this high-profile case, which has the potential to set precedents for how social media influencers are held accountable for their actions.
