First introduced to us as Back of the Moon barman Dingaan on the popular soapie Generations in the late 90s, Dingaan Khumalo has since branched out to work on other shows, like Mamazala and Muvhango.
Khumalo has made a name for himself as a staple in our living rooms, and becoming so familiar to fans can blur the line between overfamiliarity and respect.
A need arose for Khumalo to release a video addressing fans who call him by the names of the shows he’s been in when they see him in person, instead of using his name.
Why is Dingaan Khumalo displeased
“… I am here to address the people who are disrespectful. A lot of my fans are very lovely people, very respectful, amazing people. We always have fun on TikTok,” began Khumalo.
“And then there are fools who call me Mamazala, who call Muvhango, or call me Moja Love. Let’s not disrespect each other,” said Khumalo in a mix of IsiZulu and English.
“You call me those things, I will put you in your place. Let’s not disrespect each other. You don’t see me going around calling people BP Garage, or calling people Checkers, or Pick n Pay. I find out who or what your name is, and I will call you by your name, because I respect you.”
Fuming Mamazala host Dingaan Khumalo wants fans to stop calling him ‘Mamazala.’” pic.twitter.com/HtM6JjiSSa
— MDN NEWS (@MDNnewss) March 17, 2026
“As a Zulu man, we understand that a person is given their name for a purpose. Don’t come to me and call me Mamazala, or call me Moja Love,” he continued.
“The people who are calling me James, I can forgive… because at least they are calling me by the name of a character I play on Muvhango. It’s a name, it’s fine. But if you call me Muvhango, you’re disrespecting me because it means you watch Muvhango, you know my character name, and possibly, you know my name, but you chose to disrespect me…”
“And all the people thinking I’m rude, voetsek. Let’s not disrespect each other. I’m old at this stage. I’ve got a name. I’m a brother, I’m a father, I’m a son, I’m everything. But I’m not stupid.”
“To everybody who’s respectful, I love you guys. Let’s continue being playful, let’s continue having fun. To all those who disrespect me, you do that, I will embarrass you in front of everybody. Don’t disrespect me,” concluded Khumalo.