Reckless Tweet Costs Musa Khawula R500 000 In Damages

Dumani Khuzwayo, a celebrity photographer, has won a defamation lawsuit against Musa Khawula, a controversial entertainment and lifestyle blogger.

Jordaan, a Joburg High Court Judge, ruled in Khuzwayo’s favour and ordered Khawula to pay R500 000 in damages.

Khuzwayo filed a lawsuit after Khawula accused him of being part of a group of young men who prostituted older men.

Khuzwayo was allegedly hired by a Gauteng pimp for unprotected sex with elderly men, according to Khawula’s tweet on January 28. Khuzwayo, according to Khawula, was at risk of contracting HIV/AIDS as a result of his actions.

“He is going to get Aids very quickly because nobody wants to use rubber ever that’s given.

According to Khuzwayo’s court papers, Khawula insinuated that he was HIV-positive.

He added that the tweet which was viewed and shared by some of Khawula’s 183,000 followers, was both defamatory and intended to deliberately humiliate and damage Khuzwayo’s reputation.

See Also: Zahara Accepts Marriage Proposal

Judge Jordaan agreed with Khuzwayo and ordered Khawula to pay R500,000 in damages and issue an apology on his social media platforms.

Musa Khawula was also ordered to retract his statements, delete any related tweets, and provide a written undertaking that he will refrain from making any further false, defamatory, or hurtful remarks about Dumani.

Judge Jordaan’s ruling includes the following passage:

Having read the documents filed of record, heard evidence and submissions by counsel, and having considered the matter, the following order is made, “It is ordered that the respondent pay the sum of R500 000.00 to the applicant, interest on the aforesaid sum of R500 000.00 at the rate of 9.75% per annum a tempore mora until date of payment in full; the respondent issue public apology and unconditional retraction in writing and published on the respondent’s various social media platforms in which the respondent published the said utterances.