South Africa: 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.

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.

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.

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