Mzansi was left shaken on Heritage Day when rising Amapiano sensation Tebogo G Mashego, the 23-year-old behind the 2024 anthem Biri Marung, was dramatically bundled into a police van in Tshwane.
Clips of the arrest, showing four police officers pinning down the dishevelled hitmaker as he screamed and fought back, have set social media alight.
Mashego’s Heritage Day collapse followed a week of explosive social media rants that saw him turn on the very industry that made him a star.
Fresh off a chaotic Nigerian tour, the Tshwane-born TikTok sensation returned home breathing fire after begging fans for flight money and claiming that promoters had stranded him.
Amapiano giants lashed
On a string of Instagram Lives, he accused Amapiano heavyweights of stealing his royalties, demanded R23-million from Scorpion Kings DJ Maphorisa and Kabza De Small, and hurled unverified bombshells about witchcraft, money rituals, and even fellow stars’ personal lives.
At his angriest, Mashego threatened violence: “I’ll f** up Phori and unalive him.”
The Amapiano camp was shocked by the claims. Maphorisa stayed silent, but Scotts Maphuma offered sympathy: “I feel sorry for him … the allegations aren’t true.”
Tyler ICU urged calm, while Young Stunna posted a cryptic video that quickly backfired.
By Heritage Day, the police swooped in. Some outlets claimed Mashego was arrested for crimen injuria (defamation) and possibly more serious offences, while others whispered about firearms, a hit-and-run, or threats to a minor.
No charges confirmed
But late Wednesday night, justice, crime prevention, and security said the star was not arrested.
“Tebogo G Mashego has not been arrested. The information received indicates that he displayed abnormal behaviour and allegedly acted violently, assaulting people without apparent cause.
“Laudium SAPS [SA Police Service] members were summoned to the scene and, in the interest of public safety, had to forcefully remove him from the community as he was visibly resisting,” read the statement.
No charges have been confirmed. For all the noise, the saga raises serious questions about the music business.
Behind the glitz of viral hits and packed festivals lurk exploitative deals, missing royalties, and the crushing weight of fame on young artists.
For now, Mashego’s fate hangs in the balance. Will this be his rock bottom or the reset he needs?
