THE year 2023 has been eventful, to say the least.
Celebville and Mzansi have been hit by scandals this year, and we've compiled a list of stories that shook the country.
Thabo Bester and Nandipha Magudumana
Mzansi’s very own Bonnie and Clyde had South Africans and the world shocked by their story. What started as a private relationship was destroyed when someone recognised Thabo Bester at a store in Sandton.
The person stole a picture of him and posted it on Twitter, asking if Thabo, also known as the Facebook Rapist, wasn’t behind bars. People were outraged, thinking he had been released, but it turned out he escaped from prison.
The couple fled the country and were arrested in Tanzania in April. Nandipha had to celebrate her 35th birthday in prison.
AmaZulu striker marries club CEO
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Another shocking story that made headlines was when AmaZulu FC didn’t win any trophy in the DStv Premiership in the 2022/23 season.
But their striker, Bongi "Mdeva" Ntuli, won the heart of club CEO Sinenjabulo Zungu off the pitch.
Bongi and Sinenjabulo had a traditional wedding and exchange of gifts on 28 May 2023, while they had their well-organised white wedding attended by Mzansi’s A-Listers on 9 September 2023, and everyone was happy for them.
Hardly two months after the big, celebrated wedding, tragedy struck and shocked many people when the groom died suddenly from cancer on 5 November.
King Misuzulu's recognition as Zulu King was declared unlawful
Another big news was when the North Gauteng High Court set aside King Misuzulu’s recognition as Zulu king by President Cyril Ramaphosa. The president gave King Misuzulu a certificate of recognition as the Zulu king at Moses Mabhida stadium in Durban on 29 October 2022.
But King Misuzulu’s half-brother, Prince Simakade and King Misuzulu’s uncle, Prince Mbonisi, challenged Ramaphosa’s decision to recognise Misuzulu in 2022 and on Monday, 11 December, Judge Norman Davis ruled that Ramaphosa’s recognition decision was unlawful, invalid and set it aside.
Kelly Khumalo vs Ntokozo Mbambo
This is beef that no one saw coming. Kelly Khumalo was upset with after Ntokozo won three awards, including Female Artist of the Year, Best Album of the Year and Contemporary Faith Album of the Year.
Kelly went on a rampage on X, previously Twitter, and was angry and said Ntokozo didn’t deserve the award. She also claimed that Ntokozo bought the awards.
This angered people across the country, especially gospel musicians, and they stood up for Ntokozo.
She, however, didn’t respond, instead, she posted a message of thanks a few days after that.
Bree Street explodes
In July, several people were reported injured following an underground gas explosion in the Joburg CBD.
The blast happened in the city centre, ripping open roads and flipping cars. One person was found dead, while 41 other people were injured.
The suspected gas explosion caused a sinkhole in the middle of the city and until now, the City of Joburg has continued to investigate the source of the gas that caused the explosion, and work to fix the damaged road hasn’t started yet.
