Durban court has ruled against a former Transnet employee who repeatedly posted defamatory videos about the company on social media
Image: File
THE Durban High Court has dealt a blow to former Transnet employee Musa Mbundwini for his persistent defamation of the company on social media.
The court found that Mbundwini had breached the conditions of a previously suspended 30-day imprisonment sentence, originally handed down for contempt of court, but opted against immediate incarceration, instead re-suspending the sentence for five years under new stringent conditions.
The saga of Mbundwini, a qualified welder, traces back to February 2018, when he was dismissed from Transnet due to allegations of dishonesty and fraud.
Although he initially achieved a technical victory in the Labour Court due to a missing transcript, a rehearing in November 2022 confirmed that his dismissal was fair. He took no further legal steps after that ruling.
Following this, instead of pursuing further legal action, Mbundwini turned to social media, utilising platforms such as TikTok and Facebook to post a barrage of videos accusing Transnet of various misconducts including fraud and corruption.
In August 2024, Transnet sought an interdict from the High Court to stop Mbundwini from disseminating defamatory material. Further legal steps were undertaken in subsequent months after he allegedly continued to post damaging content.
By April 2025, the court issued multiple orders against him, culminating in a 30-day imprisonment sentence in August 2025, suspended for five years.
The conditions of this suspension mandated that he remove all defamatory videos and cease further postings. However, in direct defiance of this ruling, Mbundwini continued to iteratively air grievances via social media.
During subsequent court proceedings, Mbundwini's behaviour became increasingly erratic. In February 2026, he represented himself, leading to chaotic scenes as he vocally accused Transnet’s legal representatives and the judge of criminality while disregarding courtroom decorum.
His outbursts prompted intervention from security personnel, and at one point, he boisterously declared, “More videos are coming so the truth will be revealed.” Despite promises of compliance, further videos emerged shortly after he allegedly removed offending content.
Ultimately, the court found he had violated the conditions of his suspended sentence, but rather than activate the imprisonment, Judge Robin George Mossop re-suspended the sentence, setting forth additional stringent conditions.
Mbundwini was ordered to delete specific videos from Facebook and to refrain from further postings that could tarnish Transnet’s reputation, with the warning of severe repercussions for any additional breaches.