Five South African entertainment bloggers are facing accusations of fabricating damaging reports about celebrities, politicians, and businesspeople, allegedly demanding money to remove these posts.
Among those implicated are Inno Morolong and Musa Khawula, both of whom have denied the allegations, claiming their posts merely reflect popular culture commentary.
Entertainment Bloggers Fabricating Reports Against Celebrities And Demanding Money
Sources close to the scandal suggest to TshisaLIVE that these bloggers have turned social media into a hostile environment for high-profile individuals, claiming their tactics are destroying South Africa’s celebrity culture.
One anonymous musician stated:
“These bloggers are bullying women, children, and elderly people. They write fake stories about celebrities, politicians, and businessmen and then extort them to have the post taken down.”
According to the allegations, Tshepo “Lagosh” Mashile, a businessman, is at the centre of this alleged extortion scheme, reportedly collaborating with bloggers by paying them to publish negative content about certain figures. Mashile is then accused of approaching those mentioned in the stories, demanding money to take the posts down, and allegedly sharing the profits with the bloggers.
The Responses
Mashile denies any involvement:
“I’m not part of the bloggers. I know who runs Maphepha Ndaba and other bloggers, but I’ve stayed away from [the] limelight [since a] long time ago.”
Additional accusations have been directed at the Instagram account @ShadyroomSA, allegedly run by Eva Modika and her sister Michelle Modika, for targeting people with similar extortion demands. However, Michelle rejected these claims:
“I’m a radio presenter, and I don’t have a blog. I’m sitting here at home in Polokwane, doing nothing as I’m unemployed.”
Eva, a club DJ, also distanced herself from the blog, adding:
“I know Maphepha Ndaba, and I’m not a blogger. I have a career in being a club DJ … But I know who might have given you this story — I’ll sort that person out.”
Musa Khawula, known for his harsh commentary on social media, is similarly implicated in the alleged scheme. He dismissed the claims against him, asserting that any evidence will be shared publicly to prove his innocence.
Efforts to reach Inno Morolong for comment were unsuccessful.