Gossip Blogger Musa Khawula's Arrest Discussed at Madlanga Commission

• Gossip blogger Musa Khawula’s arrest is under scrutiny at the Madlanga Commission, with testimony suggesting political pressure played a role
• Witness F said Deputy Minister Cassel Mathale pushed for Khawula’s arrest, while WhatsApp messages show General Shibiri warning Khawula against publishing stories about Matlala
• The news has sent shockwaves throughout social media

PRETORIA- The arrest of gossip blogger Musa Khawula has emerged as a key topic at the Madlanga Commission, amid revelations of alleged political and law enforcement interference.

The controversy arose from a post by Khawula alleging Matlala’s ties to the murder of DJ Somebody and the assassination of anti-corruption whistleblower Babta Deokaran.

Pressure to arrest Khawula

During proceedings, Witness F testified that he was pressured to arrest Musa Khawula. Evidence presented included WhatsApp chats between Khawula and General Shibiri, which were forwarded to Witness F. Witness F explained that one message appeared to have been sent to Shibiri by Matlala, warning that someone threatened to post information exposing him unless a payment was made.

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The commission also examined the warrant of arrest for Khawula, issued for contravening the Cybercrime Act and criminal injuria. Explaining the circumstances surrounding the warrant and arrest, Witness F said he received a call from General Shibiri instructing him to forward the warrant to Matlala and to be present when Khawula was apprehended. According to Witness F, Shibiri emphasised the importance of the matter and said he was under pressure from the office of Deputy Minister Cassel Mathale to act on the arrest.

When asked why the arrest was considered so important, Sibiya said it involved a person who had allegedly insulted parliamentarians Fikile Mbalula and a “Mr Z.”

WhatsApp Messages and warnings

The commission also heard that Shibiri allegedly communicated directly with Khawula, cautioning him not to publish certain stories. In forwarded screenshots, Khawula is seen divulging information he knew about Matlala, to which Shibiri reportedly responded, urging him not to run the story, saying Matlala “is a good guy and never bothers anyone.”Witness F says he cannot confirm whether the screenshots were indeed chats to Musa Khawula, but says it is definitely chats forwarded to him by Shibiri.

Social media weighed in

@ItsLithaAfter9 joked:

"I never thought I’d hear SC Chaskalson reading a tweet authored by Musa Khawula,"

@NomsaSima said:

"MadlangaCommision, Musa Khawula needs to be protected, please."

@ZizinjaAbelungu wrote:

"Musa Khawula must find himself a very good lawyer and sue the state millions of rand for his wrongful arrest and disappear on the face of the earth until all these criminals are arrested and dealt with."

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@Sanele_so stated:

"They abused SAPS resources to arrest Musa Khawula just for posting about Kat Matlala?"

@ntibie_ said:

"Shame we didn’t support Musa Khawula when he was in jail, he was in possible danger."

2 Briefly articles on Musa Khawula

Musa Khawula was facing fresh legal trouble after being hit with a cease‑and‑desist letter from a prominent businessman's lawyers over social media posts alleging Nchabeleng received monthly payments from an alleged criminal associate. The legal demand orders Khawula to retract his statements and issue a public apology or risk further court action for defamatory claims.

Khawula and his legal representative failed to appear at the Vredenburg Magistrates Court, resulting in Khawula forfeiting his bail and a warrant being issued for his arrest. Khawula, who was rearrested in early January 2025 and denied bail at a previous hearing, now remains in legal limbo as authorities prepare to execute the outstanding warrant.

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Previously, Briefly News reported that Musa Khawula hinted that he had been released from jail after spending about 110 days behind bars. He tweeted that his case had been struck off the court roll. His post, shared on social media, celebrated his freedom following his January 2025 arrest in Dundee and drew mixed reactions from netizens commenting on his time in custody and return to online activity.

Source: Briefly News