Dr Musa Mthombeni Accused of Colourism Over Posts Following Miss SA Judge Appointment

• Social media users unearthed Dr Musa Mthombeni's old X posts after he was named a Miss South Africa 2026 judge
• The resurfaced posts showed Mthombeni appearing to laugh at colourist jokes targeting dark-skinned women, sparking outrage online
• Some netizens also questioned why his wife, former Miss SA Liesl Laurie, was not picked for the judging role instead

Dr Musa Mthombeni's appointment to the Miss South Africa 2026 judging panel on 26 October 2026 quickly became a flashpoint online, as old X posts resurfaced that appeared to show the TV personality and doctor reacting to colourist jokes about dark-skinned women. What started as excitement over the judges' announcement turned into a full-blown social media reckoning within hours.

Dr Musa Mthombeni's old posts under the microscope

X user queenmanifest19 shared screenshots of the posts that set off the backlash. One, dated 24 June 2013, showed Mthombeni responding to a photo depicting only eyes and teeth against a pitch-black background, captioned "HeyBoo" - a post widely understood as mocking dark-skinned women. Mthombeni's reply at the time was simply, "Oh my." That two-word response was enough to reignite accusations of colourism against him, with user Thembeka__ firing the first shot.

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"RIP to all the dark skin girlies who will be participating."

The reaction was swift. Others pointed their frustration directly at the Miss South Africa organisation's official X page, calling Mthombeni an unsuitable choice to sit in judgement of the country's women.

RealityPale called out the organisation:

"@Official_MissSA, a colourist as a judge?"

MissAwori posted:

"They hate themselves. They hate their dark-skinned mothers, their sisters."

ItsMbasa said:

"Musa Mthombeni has such an awful track record of hating dark-skinned women. Yikes. People will never ever overlook that at all."

henreiy wrote:

"As a dark-skinned man myself, I find it genuinely puzzling how someone can look at a person who shares the very same complexion as them and somehow perceive that complexion as something worthy of ridicule."

Why not Liesl Laurie?

Even before the old posts came to light, some social media users were already raising eyebrows at the selection. Many found it curious that Mthombeni had been picked while his wife, Liesl Laurie, a former Miss South Africa herself, was passed over. The question of her absence from the panel added another layer to the conversation, with netizens suggesting she would have been a far more fitting choice given her direct experience with the pageant.

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The backlash places the Miss South Africa organisation in an uncomfortable position, with contestants' supporters and commentators alike questioning whether due diligence was done before confirming the judging lineup.

See Dr Musa Mthombeni's posts below.

Qhawekazi Mazaleni reflects on her reign

In an earlier report, Briefly News shared Qhawekazi Mazaleni's emotional message as she reflected on her reign as Miss South Africa.

The 2025 Miss South Africa expressed gratitude for the opportunity and for being entrusted to lead and inspire others.

Source: Briefly News