Mzansi Revisits Tshepi Vundla’s 2019 Abuse Allegations Against Late Tibz

• Tshepi Vundla and Tebello "Tibz" Motsoane were once celebrated as one of South Africa's most beloved couples before their bitter split
• A viral 2019 thread about gender-based violence prompted Tshepi to publicly name Tibz as her abuser on social media
• Tibz issued a lengthy statement admitting to emotional abuse while claiming Tshepi had physically abused him during their relationship

Long before she settled into family life with award-winning rapper and music executive JR Bogopa, celebrity stylist and creative director Tshepi Vundla was one half of a relationship that gripped South African pop culture. Years after her split from the late Tebello "Tibz" Motsoane, social media has revisited one of the most explosive abuse scandals to rock Mzansi timelines in recent memory.

Tshepi and Tibz: From engagement to public fallout

At the peak of their romance, Tshepi and Tibz were the kind of couple South Africans adored. They shared curated snapshots of their outings, made grand romantic gestures publicly, and regularly professed their love on X (formerly Twitter). Their relationship even progressed to an engagement. The fairy-tale ended quietly at first, with neither party offering the public any real explanation for the split - until the national mood shifted dramatically in 2019.

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The thread that changed everything

South Africa was in the grip of collective grief and rage following the sexual assault and murder of University of Cape Town student Uyinene Mrwetyana on 24 August 2019. Against that backdrop, a man identified as Sfiso Mthethwa, believed to be a friend of Tibz, shared a candid personal thread reflecting on the silence of men who know an abuser within their own social circle.

Mthethwa wrote about a close friend who had abused his girlfriend, recounting how their friend group debated endlessly about who would confront him, while nobody thought to check on the victim. He eventually reached out to the ex-girlfriend to apologise, writing: "She really could have been killed because of our cowardly behaviour."

On 8 September 2019, Tshepi responded directly to the thread with words that sent shockwaves across social media: "His name is Tebello Eugene Motsoane aka Tibz."

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The post drew an outpouring of support from thousands of followers and industry peers. Mthethwa followed up with a pointed rebuke.

"F*CK YOU, ABUSER. YOU ARE NOT GOING TO KEEP LIVING LIKE ALL IS GOOD. NOT ON OUR WATCH. NX."

Tibz hits back with his own account

The fallout was swift. Tibz, a celebrity chef, entrepreneur, and former manager to the late rapper Kiernan "AKA" Forbes, lost brand endorsements as public pressure mounted. He released a lengthy statement acknowledging emotional and mental disrespect towards Tshepi, but flatly denied any physical abuse and turned the narrative around, alleging that Tshepi had been physically abusive towards him.

"I realise that I was abusive, but never ever physically," he wrote, adding: "I'm ready to state that Tshepi Vundla used to physically abuse me. I've been slapped, scratched, pushed, sworn at and had my mother sworn at. Never have I retaliated."

He claimed witnesses included friends, family members, promoters, bouncers, and strangers at various public venues.

Tibz was fatally shot years later on 10 February 2023 in Durban, alongside AKA. Before his death, he had rebuilt his professional profile as a respected chef, partnering with brands and hosting high-profile events. The resurfacing of the 2019 scandal has since reignited conversation online about accountability, public perception, and how people move forward after being tied to serious allegations.

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See the viral thread below.

AKA's father pays tribute to late rapper

In an earlier report, Briefly News shared online reactions to Tony Forbes' emotional tribute to his late son, rapper AKA.

Forbes shared how long it had been since the fatal night, adding that life had not been the same.

Source: Briefly News