Social media personality appears in court

A social media personality – known for his controversial online social media posts – has appeared in the Randburg District Court on charges of crimen injuria, Contravention of Section 19 of the Cyber Crimes Act 19 of 2020 and hate speech.

Image source: hoack – 123RF.com

According to the National Prosecuting Authority, the man, 33-year-old Musa Khawula, was remanded in custody for a formal bail application hearing.

“The accused is alleged to have posted derogatory statements between 10 and 12 October 2024 on his social media platform, which has a substantial following, with the alleged intention of impairing, injuring or damaging the dignity of businessman Zee Nxumalo,” the NPA said on Tuesday.

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In court, it was revealed that Khawula has a pending murder case in the Free State and an outstanding warrant of arrest for reckless and negligent driving.

“Furthermore... [investigations] further revealed that the accused’s profile and physical address still need to be verified to enable the compilation of a comprehensive statement for bail application purposes,” the NPA said.

Khawula is expected back in court on 21 January.