Controversial blogger Musa Khawula has been denied bail following his brief court appearance at the Fochville District Court on Wednesday. Fochville is a mining town in Gauteng, in the Merafong City municipality, just outside Johannesburg.
The decision to deny bail for the 33-year-old was based on his previous violations of bail conditions. And the fact that he committed the alleged additional offences while out on bail.
Fochville charges related to hit and run
Khawula faces charges related to an alleged hit-and-run incident that occurred in February 2021.
The blogger allegedly ran away without calling for assistance after hitting someone with his car.
Other charges that he is facing relate to the derogatory comments he made about businessman and public figure Ze Nxumalo. He is also accused of putting Nxumalo’s wife, Tamaryn Green, a former Miss South Africa, on his X page alongside the derogatory comments.
Crimen injuria charges
The matter began with a social media post by Khawula sometime last year (2024). Khawula wrote on his X page how Ze Nxumalo was cheating on his pregnant wife, Tamaryn Green-Nxumalo, with Lebo Mokoena. Mokoena is a reality TV star and ex-wife to businessman Lebo Gunguluza.
The Johannesburg High Court last year ruled that Khawula should retract the statements he made on October 12.
Khawula’s failure to comply with the court’s directive led to the issuance of the arrest warrant.
Deleted the tweets, but the charges remain
The judgment by the Johannesburg High Court barred Khawula from mentioning the couple’s names on social media. Also from levelling any more allegations against them.
Khawula ended up removing the tweets and issuing an apology as per the defamation charge. However, the second part of the lawsuit, crimen injuria, still stood.
He was charged with hate speech, crimen injuria, and violating Section 19 of the Cybercrimes Act of 2020.
Hit and run incident
His trial is scheduled to commence at the Fochville District Court on 22 May 2025. The Fochville trial is related to the hit and run offence. Khawula allegedly hit a motorist with his car and left him injured on the road. The injured motorist was rescued by another passing motorist and taken to hospital.
The injured motorist had a confrontation with Khawula after he found him (Khawula) and another man naked in a car. Khawula exited the car and had a heated exchange with the motorist. Following this, Khawula drove off, but hit the motorist while driving off in a huff.
Also Read: Musa Khawula to spend more weeks in jail as he abandons bail
