- Tumisho Masha and Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng were caught up in a heated back-and-forth on X
- Mofokeng, the EFF's mayoral candidate for Johannesburg, took a swipe at Masha, who fired back with a sharp response
- Several social media users and public figures weighed in on the spat, with opinions sharply divided
Source: Twitter
Actor Tumisho Masha served a cold and calculated clapback at Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng after the physician and EFF mayoral candidate for Johannesburg seemingly took a dig at him on X on 16 October 2026. The exchange quickly went viral, with fans and critics picking sides in the heated online spat.
Mofokeng fired the first shot, seemingly targeting creatives who had been vocal on the platform: "Real creatives are reading their scripts. Ba busy (they're busy)."
The Mandela's Gun actor was not rattled. He hit back with a response that was equal parts composed and cutting, redirecting the conversation squarely at Mofokeng's political ambitions.
"Real politicians are reading their municipal budgets, not my tweets. Johannesburg needs functioning traffic lights, water and clean streets, not a mayoral candidate auditioning for Twitter beef. Ba busy!" Masha shot back.
Tumisho Masha's political voice has been growing
The exchange did not come out of nowhere. Masha has earned a reputation in recent months for speaking candidly about South African politics and holding those in power accountable. He previously called out President Cyril Ramaphosa over what he described as the government's failure to put the needs of South Africans first.
That track record gave his clapback extra weight in the eyes of many followers, who felt his response to Mofokeng was in keeping with his broader stance as a citizen who refuses to stay quiet.
Source: Twitter
The response from social media users was swift and divided. A large portion of followers applauded Masha for putting a mayoral candidate in her place.
errolbsk wrote:
"Well said. She should be putting forward solutions for the city, not beefing with everyone."
Past_2Present said:
"Don't give her the chance to breathe."
tshepom619 posted:
"I wish more of our celebs treated politicians like this. The message goes far beyond a simple X spat."
Not everyone was on Masha's side, though. Prince Kaybee weighed in by warning the actor, though the specifics of his response were not elaborated on.
"Hey, man, the knife you're using has opposite sharp edges. Let's forgive, ok?"
ReignQueendom said:
"If that fails, she is still a qualified Dr. You are a failed actor popular amongst xenophobes on Twitter. This is your peak."
The split in reactions reflects just how polarising both figures are, with Masha drawing admiration for his boldness and criticism for engaging in the first place, while Mofokeng's detractors used the moment to question her readiness for the mayoral role.
See Tumisho Masha's clapback below.
Lebo M declares his pick ahead of elections
In an earlier report, Briefly News shared insight into Lebo M's choice ahead of the local government elections.
The veteran composer revealed that after years of being disappointed by several political parties, he is taking a different route, hoping it will yield better returns.
Source: Briefly News
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