Musa Mseleku Responds to ConCourt Ruling on Husbands Taking Wives’ Surnames

• Musa Mseleku recently weighed in on a court ruling that husbands can now take their wives’ surnames
• The controversial polygamist said the ruling would not only strip men of their identity, he also described it as Eurocentric
• Reactions to his statement were both of support from his followers and of humour at how things would be if he adopted the change

Musa Mseleku shared his thoughts on the latest ruling allowing men to take their wives' last names.

In a historic move made by the Constitutional Court on 11 September 2025, Judge Leona Theron confirmed this ruling, marking a major step toward gender equality.

Reacting to the news later that day was Mseleku, who rubbished the decision, stating that it would cause major problems in the future:

"It poses a danger to men to be diluted and lose themselves."

According to the famous polygamist, the decision follows a Western approach to marriage, stripping other cultures of the opportunity to practice their traditions:

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"The decision to grant men to take their wives surname is Eurocentric and it undermines the spirit of different cultures."

Musa, who recently welcomed a baby with his fifth soon-to-be wife, used a picture of him performing a traditional Zulu dance to drive the message home.

Though a stern traditionalist, especially through his practice of polygamy, Mseleku recently faced backlash for his apparent lack of knowledge of Zulu traditions. This posed the question of whether he only follows tradition when it's beneficial to him.

Read Mseleku's Instagram post below:

What was the court ruling?

The judgment follows an application by two couples after the Home Affairs Department refused to register their surnames.

Judge Theron ruled that ruled that Section 26(1)(a)–(c) of the Births and Deaths Registration Act, which permits a woman to change her surname upon marriage, resume a previous surname after marriage or divorce, or add a prior surname to her current one, is unconstitutional, in that it violates sections 9(1) and 9(3) of the Constitution.

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Section 26(1)(a) permits a woman to change her surname upon marriage, while 26(1)(b) permits her to resume a previous surname after marriage or divorce. Meanwhile, 26(1)(c) permits a woman to add a prior surname to her current one.

The Judge stated that it directly violates Section 9(1) and 9(3), which states that:

9(1) Everyone is equal before the law and has the right to equal protection and benefit of the law, and

9(3) Prohibits the state from unfairly discriminating, either directly or indirectly, against anyone on specific grounds such as race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, and age.

While the ruling merely gives husbands the liberty to use their wives' surnames as they please, no man is obligated to do so. And many followers used the opportunity to discuss the decision in the comments section.

Fans react to Musa Mseleku's post

Online users weighed in on the polygamist's statement and supported his points. Read their comments below:

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zala_mthombo said:

"It’s so dangerous for a country like ours struggling with hungry women who are selling citizenships, now the Ethiopians, Somalians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and Nigerians will be taking our names. The ANC government and its supporters are responsible for the mess. They’ll be deporting us in no time, watch the space. No legit South African man that’s African or black will buy into this thing, though."

zukiswankqezo agreed:

"I said the same thing, imagine my man's last name being Nqezo."

Meanwhile, others joked about the possibility of Musa adopting his wives' surnames:

wandisiwesharon said:

"Musa Ngwabe."

nonosi5253 laughed:

"This is funny because when I heard the judgment, I wondered what you thought about that decision."

inganathidlova wrote:

"Musa Cele, Musa Yeni, Musa Khumalo, Musa Ngwaba, Musa Khwela. Pick one, y'all."

noxolo_hlubi suggested:

"Mr. Musa Cele Mseleku."

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Source: Briefly News