Musa Khawula, the social media blogger known for his controversial online presence, has been ordered to pay R1 million in damages to Nozuko Mbalula, wife of ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula, and her business partner Michelle Perrow.
Musa Khawula reacts to R1 million lawsuit ruling
The court order also mandates that Khawula cover the legal costs of the application and remove the defamatory statements from his X (formerly Twitter) feed within 48 hours.
Additionally, Khawula is prohibited from posting or giving interviews that suggest Mbalula and Perrow are involved in fraud and corruption.
Reacting to the ruling on X, Khawula said he doesn’t have the money to pay the damages.
“Ayikabi, anginayo bandla [Not in a bad way, but I don’t have it],” he wrote.
This isn’t the first time Khawula has found himself in hot water over his inflammatory remarks online.
What was he sued for earlier this year?
Earlier in the year, Khawula faced another lawsuit after making defamatory statements about businessman Jade Harris Orren.
Khawula alleged that Orren was cheating on his wife and threatened her whenever she tried to leave him.
The court ruled in favour of Orren, and Khawula was ordered to pay damages.
However, Khawula took to social media to declare he didn’t have the money to comply with the court order.
“Now who the hell is this? Also, somebody let him know that anginamali [I don’t have money],” he wrote in a now-deleted post.
Musa Khawula accused of killing ex-lover
Adding to Khawula’s list of controversies is a murder charge. In March 2021, Khawula admitted to the fatal stabbing of his ex-boyfriend Wandile Khambule, claiming it was in self-defence.
The incident was brutal, with Khawula reportedly chasing Khambule and inflicting fatal wounds to his chest and back.
On August 31, 2023, Khawula candidly recounted the incident in a TikTok video, graphically describing the stabbing to his friends. The narrative surrounding the incident paints a tragic picture of a relationship turned deadly.
Khambule, a professional photographer from Carletonville, met Khawula in Johannesburg, and the two quickly became inseparable. However, their relationship soured when Khambule developed a romantic interest in another woman.
This led to escalating tensions and, eventually, a fatal confrontation.
Eyewitnesses described the chilling events of the murder, where a heated argument between Khawula and Khambule ended in Khawula stabbing Khambule multiple times.
Khawula was arrested later that night at a nightclub but was released on bail after a brief stint in police custody.
Pretrial proceedings were expected to begin in January but have faced delays, leaving the matter still unresolved in a Cape Town court.