Controversial blogger Musa Khawula will spend the weekend behind bars after making a brief appearance at the Newcastle Magistrate’s Court in KwaZulu-Natal on Thursday.
Gauteng Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Mavela Masondo confirmed the matter. He told Sunday World on Friday that Khawula made a court appearance on Thursday but has been remanded in custody. He is set to be transferred to a Johannesburg correctional facility over the weekend.
To appear in Randburg court on Monday
On Monday, Khawula will make an appearance at the Randburg Magistrate’s Court, where his case is being heard.
Khawula is currently facing charges of contravention of the Cyber-crime Act and crimen injuria. These charges are separate charges from the defamation case. In the defamation charge, he was ordered to take down defamatory statements he had made on X against Ze Nxumalo and his wife Tamaryn Green-Nxumalo.
Arrest is for second, separate charge
The couple’s lawyer, Vanessa Fernihough, of Vanessa Fernihough & Associates law firm, previously told this publication that a warrant of arrest had been issued for the second charge, but Khawula had avoided arrest for some time.
The matter began with a social media post by Khawula sometime last year. Khawula wrote on his X account 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 his X social media account on October 12.
Khawula’s failure to comply with the court’s directive led to the issuance of the arrest warrant.
Verdict on the defamation charge
The verdict by Judge Ettian Raubenheimer, issued on November 6, points to Khawula’s non-compliance with the court ruling. It stood to subsequently land him back in prison for contempt of court.
“The respondent (Musa Khawula) is directed to permanently retract and remove the statements made by him on his X account,” read the judgement.
Crimen injuria charge remains
The judgment also 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. It is the one he was arrested for and charged on Thursday.
Also Read: Blogger Musa Khawula arrested for violating cybercrime laws
