Musa Mseleku's 'failure' comment backfires: Is his tribute to MaKhumalo a PR stunt?

Musa Mseleku is under fire, and this time, not even a sweet Instagram caption could calm the storm.

The polygamist reality star and businessman attempted to clean up his image with a loving tribute to his third wife, Thobile “MaKhumalo” Mseleku, but many fans aren't buying it.

Just a day before the post, Mseleku caused a stir during the season finale of "Uthando Nes’thembu" (aired 1 May 2025), where he referred to MaKhumalo as a “failure” in a tense diary session.

The harsh comment, which aired on national television, left viewers shocked and outraged. It didn’t take long for a clip of the moment to make its way to social media, with fans calling out his tone and questioning why such a personal judgment was shared so publicly.

And if that wasn’t enough, Mseleku also implied that MaKhumalo's professional visibility and public opportunities were only thanks to her taking on his surname.

Yikes.

Naturally, netizens weighed in, and the feedback wasn't praiseworthy.

On Friday, May 2, Musa was singing a completely different tune. He posted a photo of MaKhumalo with the caption: “I love you so much, Mzilikazi. As long as we stand together.”

But the damage, many felt, had already been done.

The comments came pouring in. Some accused him of trying to do damage control, while others slammed the timing of the tribute, calling it manipulative and emotionally tone-deaf. 

This isn’t the first time Musa has faced criticism for the way he treats his wives, especially MaKhumalo. Over the years, viewers have expressed concern about how he handles sensitive topics like infertility, which MaKhumalo has openly struggled with.

Rather than offering support, some say he’s often appeared cold or dismissive on camera.

To be fair, polygamy comes with its own set of challenges, and "Uthando Nes’thembu" has never shied away from showing the messiness.

But there’s a difference between honesty and humiliation, and many fans believe Mseleku crossed that line.

While MaKhumalo herself hasn’t publicly responded to the controversy, fans are standing firmly in her corner, praising her for her strength and grace in the face of public scrutiny.

Viewers aren’t buying the sudden outpouring of love from Mseleku, especially given the damage done on-screen.

One fan, @nosi_malamlela, summed it up perfectly by saying, "The pain of being called a failure over something you can't control and all your contributions being minimised. I hope you wholeheartedly apologised to your wife, Mr Mseleku. That was so hard to watch."

Another, @shaolin3060, didn’t mince words either: "You need therapy bhuti (brother). What you are doing isn't right - belittling people and then turning around to praise them. Please seek help and let this beautiful woman go.

"Scripted or not, what you said was uncalled for. You can't belittle people in the name of entertainment and viewership."

And then came @regomoditsweprd with the question many are now asking: "So you love her with the condition of 'we stand together'? If she doesn’t, it means you don’t love her anymore? Is your love for her based on that condition?"

At this point, many fans are left wondering: was Mseleku’s tribute to MaKhumalo a genuine apology or just a well-timed PR clean-up job?