Controversial social media blogger Musa Khawula is staring down a 30-day jail term after refusing to apologize to EFF leader Julius Malema and his wife Mantoa Matlala Malema for defamatory divorce claims.
The Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg ruled on 14 April 2026 that Khawula’s February posts alleging the Malemas’ marriage was collapsing were “unlawful and defamatory”.
Khawula had claimed on X that Mantoa had filed for divorce due to Julius’s alleged infidelity and that the couple’s 2014 marriage was over. The court found there were no divorce proceedings and the allegations were false. 43e279ab
Judge Gregory Wright ordered Khawula to permanently retract the statements within 24 hours and publish an unreserved public apology on his X account and to media outlets that had repeated the claims.
He was also barred from making similar allegations about infidelity or marital breakdown and was ordered to pay legal costs on an attorney-and-client scale. 43e2
Instead of complying, Khawula posted a clip of Beyoncé’s Sorry with the caption “Sorry, I ain’t sorry” and tagged Malema.
On 20 April he doubled down, tweeting: “Baby, thought you should know that you aren’t getting no apology from me. Do not expect it, it’s never happening”.
That defiance prompted Malema and Mantoa to file a contempt of court application on 22 April, asking the court to jail Khawula for 90 days or fine him R150,000.
The court has now reportedly given Khawula a 30-day ultimatum to apologize before serving a 30-day prison sentence if he fails to comply. a337
This isn’t Khawula’s first run-in with the law over online posts. In July 2024 he was jailed for 90 days after ignoring a defamation order obtained by Nozuko Mbalula, wife of ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula.
He’s also facing separate charges including murder, attempted murder, and contravention of the Cyber Crimes Act following posts about businessman Ze Nxumalo and Dr Tamaryn Green in late 2024. 8ee0
The Malemas’ case has reignited debate about the limits of free speech online and the legal responsibility of social media commentators.
Judge Nthabiseng Mofokeng, in the earlier judgment, said freedom of expression “does not grant anyone a license to publish falsehoods that harm the dignity and reputation of another person”.
Khawula has not publicly indicated whether he intends to apologize within the 30-day window.
