Ngizwe Mchunu is a South African radio personality and sangoma who is primarily known as a former host at the Ukhonzi FM and the owner of the Nizwe Mchunu radio station. He was arrested in 2021 following allegations that he was one of the instigators of the 2021 July protests and as he still lives in South Africa while he awaits final judgment on the case.
Ngizwe Mchunu has been under the watchful eyes of the state ever since he was granted bail by the court following his involvement in a case of national importance – former president Jacob Zuma’s imprisonment. The young man was among those who put their lives on the line for Zuma and since then, he has been trending.
An alleged public violence instigator, Mchunu hails from KwaZulu-Natal province, where he was raised by his parents. You will find out more about the life and whereabouts of the young man in the paragraphs below.
Summary of Ngizwe Mchunu’s Biography
- Full name: Ngizwenkosi Brian Mchunu
- Nickname: Ngizwe Mchunu
- Gender: Male
- Nationality: South African
- Sexual Orientation: Straight
- Religion: Christian
- Marital Status: Married
- Ngizwe Mchunu’s Wife: Florida Mthimkhumulu
- Ngizwe Mchunu’s Parents: Duduzile maNtombela-Mchunu (mother)
- Famous for: Protesting and defending Jacob Zuma during his prison case
- Ngizwe Mchunu’s Instagram: Ngizweonline
- Twitter: @NgizweMchunu
- Facebook: Ngizwe Online
Ngizwe Mchunu’s Life Began In Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal Province
Ngizwe hails from Nkandla, a region in KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa. Nkandla is also the hometown of former president Jacob Zuma and possibly the place their connection and closeness began. The presenter’s birth details are not open to public scrutiny currently.
There’s still a lot about Mchunu’s background and life before fame that is not known to the public. Apparently, he has decided to keep the public in the dark about these aspects of his life. It’s not known if he is an only child and how his life as a kid really was.
The name of Mchunu’s mother is Duduzile maNtombela-Mchunu. There is no information about his father and further details about his parents. The young man was raised in his hometown, Nkandla. However, it is not clear if he attended a higher institution, and the names of the schools he had his basic education are not available for public consumption.
He First Rose To Prominence As A Radio Presenter
It might look as if Ngizwe became an overnight sensation due to his roles in the Zuma prison drama, but the fact is that he was a well-known personality before the prison saga. His popularity only soared during the scuffle and he instantly became a person of great interest.
Mchunu had an amazing career as a radio presenter at Umhozi FM before his dismissal from the station for breaching the station’s confidentiality policy. He is said to have publicly disclosed Ukhozi’s private information, which didn’t go down well with them.
Shortly after his exit from Umhozi, precisely in late 2019, Ngizwe successfully launched his own radio station known as Ngizwe Mchunu FM. The move was necessitated by his fans who continuously pleaded with him not to end his ‘Good Morning Show’. Ngizwe Mchunu first aired between 19:00-23:00 on 14th September 2019.
The Nkandla-born presenter was set to launch a podcast on Spotify in mid-July 2021 before his arrest by the state. Ngizwenkosi once worked at SABC1 as co-presenter of the traditional music show, Roots.
As seen on his Instagram, the former Umhozi DJ also makes extra cash as a radio host at vumafm, an MC, and a thespian. He has a YouTube channel and has also taken part in several traditional music festivals in the country.
All these endeavors, no doubt, have helped him greatly in boosting his mixed-career and growing his financial life.
Ngizwe Mchunu Is No Stranger To Controversies And Public Drama
A lot of public figures in South Africa have been involved in several controversies, scandals, and public drama and Mchunu happens to be one of them. He has hogged the headlines for being on the wrong side of the law for the better part of his life. The Nkandla-born DJ, however, seems unbroken and unfazed by all that has happened in the past.
1. UKhozi FM Dismissal
Mchunu was shown the exit door in the month of October 2018 by the management of the South African radio station, Ukhozi FM. He is reported to have leaked confidential information about the station to the public, leading to his dismissal.
His dismissal didn’t go down well with most listeners while some of them revealed that they would no longer listen to the radio station. Ngizwe, at that time, was reported to have also contacted his lawyer on the matter, insisting that the Durban-based radio station must provide proof or evidence of his wrongdoing.
Ngizwe Mchunu files court papers to challenge his dismissal from @ukhozi_fm https://t.co/QdBIIfhXRz via @IsolezweNews
— Sphelele (@SpheDludla) October 24, 2018
In the long run, Ukhozi FM did not reinstate the presenter. Mchunu worked with the radio station for a long time before he was fired. He anchored the show, ‘Sigiya Nengoma’, and was well-loved for promoting the Zulu culture and tradition.
Well I'm no longer an effective follower of UKHOZI FM bcoz of some issues known to other pillars of this brand. I'm of the view that Ngizwe should be back,he is one of his the best people behind microphone 🎤 #BringNgizweMchunuBack
Everyone I come across want him back so jae…— Spha Gumede (@Spha_Gruffy) October 23, 2018
Ukhozi FM, owned by SABC, first aired in 1960. The radio station was exclusively launched for the Zulu-speaking communities.
2. Controversial Marriage Ceremony
Ngiizwe has indeed been through a lot, although he doesn’t look it. The former Ukhozi showman faced great challenges sometime around 2014 when he was planning to get married to his third wife.
It all began after his first wife Siphelele Nxumalo took him to court for entering two marriages after he had married her. Mchunu entered into a customary marriage with Nxumalo in May 2012, after which he married another woman Lindiwe Khuzwayo in a customary way the following year.
His first wife asked the court to nullify Ngizwe’s marriage to his second and third wives because the radio host was about to enter a civil union with his third wife, Florida Mthimkhumulu.
Siphelele maintained that Mchunu failed to follow certain traditional rules guiding men who want to take more than one wife, as stipulated in the Recognition of Customary Marriages Act. The law requires any man who wants to marry more than one wife to apply to the court so that he will be given a written contract that will regulate the future matrimonial property system of the marriage.
She also revealed that she was not informed about Ngizwe’s third marriage, which Mchunu later denied. Nxumalo, therefore, asked the court to nullify his marriages to his second and third wives as customary and civil marriages cannot co-exist simultaneously.
Reports have it that Siphelele and Lindiwe’s marriages were not registered with Home Affairs while Florida’s was. What this meant was that Florida’s marriage superseded Ngizwe’s first two marriages as they were not considered to be legit.
Following the messy marriage brouhaha, the presenter reportedly ended up divorcing his first and second wives. He has been living happily with his third wife since then. Meanwhile, some sources have it that he’s still married to his three wives and that he has welcomed 12 children.
3. Airport Shield Court Battle
In May 2011, Mchunu launched an R10 million lawsuit against the South African Revenue Service (SARS) and Excise Department and its official, Meintjies; the Agriculture Department and its official, Thalamothalo Phaka; as well as King Shaka International Airport for threatening to destroy his traditional shield (ihawu) because it was “infested with foot-and-mouth disease”.
He reportedly flew to Dubai to take part in a tourism event in April 2011 where he showcased African culture and tradition. Unfortunately, he forgot his Zulu shield at the baggage area on the day he returned. He claimed that on the day he went to retrieve it, he was told by customs officials that the shield was infested with foot and mouth disease.
Mchunu later dragged all the parties involved to the Durban-based Equality Court but his R10 million suit was dismissed by the court in March 2012.
4. Feud With Khuzani Mpungose
Ngizwe has been friends with Khuzani for years. Sadly, their relationship turned sour recently after the two clashed on several occasions. Both of them have accused each other of wrongdoings severally and it appears none is ready to make peace anytime soon.
Recently, Mpungose spoke out on why he attacked Mchunu on his newly released album titled ‘Inja Nogodo’. He disclosed that it was the former Ukhozi FM presenter that bad-mouthing him, spreading lies that he [Khuzani] used his grandmother for sacrifice in order to be successful in the industry.
The duo almost physically clashed at an event in the month of October 2021 as well. Reports have it that Ngizwe, who was the MC at the event, refused to call up Khuzani to perform. He ignored him and called another artist named Mthandeni ‘Igcokama elisha’ Manqele.
As gathered, Mpungose and Mthandeni ‘Igcokama elisha’ Manqele have not been on friendly terms as well. So, when Khuzani saw how Mchunu ignored him, he immediately confronted him. It took the intervention of respectable men, including Nkandla mayor Thami Ntuli for calmness to be restored. Mpungose was later called up to the stage for his performance as scheduled.
Ngizwe and Khuzani’s feud was reignited in December 2021 after the former accused the latter of forcefully having carnal knowledge of a fourteen-year-old girl. Zuma’s staunch supporter also disclosed that the incident took place for five days at Mpungose’s home in Nkandla.
He further revealed that most people in Nkandla are aware of the case, including government officials and Khuzani’s family, adding that he started distancing himself from the artist after he refused to stop the act and also hand himself to the police.
Mchunu shared that he wanted justice for the girl and had volunteered to be a state witness. Khuzani is said to have since served Ngizwe court papers, demanding that he provide substantial evidence or proof to his claims.
Nothing has been heard about the case lately and it’s not clear if the radio host has responded to the court papers.
Ngizwe Mchunu Is Currently Facing Charges Of Inciting Violence And Contravening Disaster Management Act
Ngizwe Mchunu, who is currently facing two counts of being in contravention of the Disaster Management Act and one count of inciting public violence, was released on R2 000 bail in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court in the month of July 2021 after making several court appearances.
He was arrested after he handed himself to the Durban police for allegedly inciting violence which led to looting and unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. The former Ukhozi FM presenter was accused of inciting violence on July 11 during a briefing at a Bryanston hotel, just days after former president Jacob Zuma was arrested and jailed for contempt of court.
Following his brief appearance in the Randburg magistrate’s court in October 2021, his case was postponed to January 31, 2022, for a pretrial conference. The state had argued that the radio host expressly triggered the unrest as seen in the videos on his social media accounts but Magistrate Gayle Pretorius insisted that videos did not prove that Mchunu incited violence.
Ngizwe allegedly evaded the police five times before he handed himself over. The first time was at the airport, the second time was when the police were at his vehicle at the airport, the third time was where he was scheduled to speak, the fourth time was when he was booked in a luxury hotel but never stayed there while the fifth time is also at another hotel.
A staunch defender and supporter of former President Jacob Zuma, Ngizwe was among those who never left his side during his difficult times with the state. He was among those who stood in front of Zuma’s gate alongside his sons insisting that he would never be arrested.
Mchunu’s involvement at the frontline of the intense battle between the Nkandla-born former president and the state earned him immense popularity both within and outside of the country.
What Has Ngizwe Mchunu Been Up To Lately?
First and foremost, Ngizwe Mchunu is still in the country currently. He has not left the shores of Mzansi – recall that he was initially denied bail for being a flight risk after he reportedly evaded arrest by the police five times earlier.
Ever since he was granted bail, he has been making many public appearances like before. Nevertheless, he is doing great and also busy with activities that will help his career grow, including attending music festivals and engaging his fans through his numerous platforms.
The Nkandla-born presenter is generally doing what he knows how best to do.
A Look At Ngizwe Mchunu’s House In Nkandla
Ngizwe Mchunu is hardly seen around his house. Again, he is not like most prominent people who show off their apartments to the public. It is difficult to describe what his house looks like and the features it is fitted with.
Being a successful person with multiple income streams, it is believed that the place he calls home is befitting for someone of his status. Some time ago, a video of the DJ’s house in Nkandla surfaced online and since then, it’s been circulating.
It’s not clear if Mchunu is based in Nkandla or elsewhere in the country. There is no information on the exact region he permanently lives.
What Car Does Ngizwe Mchunu Drive?
There’s no information on the number of cars Mchunu owns or the brands of cars in his garage. He has never talked about his financial life publicly and there is no authoritative report on his net worth.
However, sometime in September 2021, news broke out that his car was stolen. He has never spoken about the stolen car since then and the brand of the car that was allegedly stolen is not known.