Musa Khawula Arrested Again Over Crimen Injuria Charges
Controversial blogger Musa Khawula has been arrested again, less than two months after serving time in jail.
Known for his often scathing social media posts about high-profile personalities, Khawula now faces criminal charges related to crimen injuria and a breach of the Cybercrimes Act.
Also Read: Musa Khawula Faces Jail Time After Accusing Ze Nxumalo of Cheating on Pregnant Wife
Musa Khawula’s Arrest Confirmed by Authorities
Police spokesperson Lt-Col Mavela Masondo confirmed Khawula’s arrest to Sunday World.
“The suspect was arrested in KwaZulu-Natal on Wednesday after a warrant of arrest was issued. He is expected to appear in the Newcastle Magistrate’s Court, where the matter will be transferred to Gauteng. He faces a charge of contravention of the Cybercrimes Act,” Masondo said.
The crimen injuria charge stems from Khawula’s disparaging remarks about Ze Nxumalo and his wife on social media, in addition to the defamation case.
Two Separate Legal Battles
According to court documents, Khawula is embroiled in two lawsuits. The first pertains to defamation of character, for which he was previously ordered to retract defamatory tweets about businessman Ze Nxumalo and his wife, Tamaryn Green-Nxumalo, and issue a public apology.
He failed to comply with the order, resulting in a new warrant of arrest.
Vanessa Fernihough, the couple’s lawyer, clarified the situation.
“There are two lawsuits. The first is defamation, where he was ordered to remove his tweets and apologize. The second is a criminal charge for crimen injuria, which will now proceed in court,” she explained.
Repeat Legal Troubles for Khawula
This isn’t Khawula’s first run-in with the law. In July, he was jailed for 90 days for contempt of court after refusing to comply with a defamation ruling secured by Nozuko Mbalula, wife of ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula. That case barred Khawula from posting allegations about her on X, formerly Twitter.
Khawula’s repeated legal troubles have sparked public debate about the limits of free speech and accountability on social media platforms.