Bathini Bona? Has Scotts Maphuma Truly Humbled Himself and Are the Apologies Real?
Could this be the beginning of the end for Scotts Maphuma?
The past two months have seen rising amapiano musician Scotts Maphuma gradually fall out of favour with the public. In his recent interviews, he has repeatedly shared inflammatory comments about how he feels about fans who attempt to interact with him, from telling the world that he doesn’t owe any one of his followers photographs, to him blatantly begging for South Africa to cancel him on Instagram. After Mzansi gave Maphuma a resounding response to his public affronts, Maphuma seemingly decided to humble himself and ask for forgiveness. And yet, his social media footprint on other platforms seem to be contradictory, with him making it known via his now-deleted Instagram post that he never apologised on X.
On the 7th of May 2025, the originator of the “Bathini Bona” catchphrase supposedly issued an apology on his X account. The affirmatory message wasn’t only one from Maphuma seeking forgiveness for his actions, it also saw him offer thanks to his followers for “believing in me”, while promising them that he was going to take it upon himself to work on his character, to grow, and to create a better version of himself from his mistakes. While the contents didn’t specify exactly what he was sorry for, it can be surmised that what inspired the publication of the post are the chain of interviews and public showings in which Maphuma has said things which have rubbed the masses the wrong way.
The apology came after an appearance with DJ Maphorisa on Instagram, in which Maphuma offers a thin “sorry”, when the “Izolo” hitmaker tells him that the streets were angry with him.
However, in the following morning, the 8th of May, a screenshot of Maphuma’s Instagram posted began circulating, showing a post of him denying that he ever issued an apology while also claiming that he didn’t have an X account.
Scotts Maphuma’s “apology” on X:
Scotts Maphuma was recently crossed off the list of performers due to have their time on stage at Vogue Champagne Lounge. The lounge’s management team issued a press statement to let the public know that their decision to axe Maphuma from their list was informed by the public’s “feedback and concerns regarding the upcoming performance by Scotts Maphuma.”
His cancelled performance at the Nelspruit-based venue comes off the heels of his shambolic showing at Coyotes in Mpumalanga, where a viral video of him getting ignored by the crowd while performing has been doing rounds on the socials.
Contrary to his apparent apology, Maphuma left a wall of text under Vogue Lounge’s Instagram post with the press release, telling off the management and the venue itself.
“Just because y’all have beef with me you create stories now I still say I was a bit harsh on people who support me wholeheartedly my real fans and they know I love them so much you didn’t book me you’re just angry because you couldn’t get me when you wanted me now you wanna Market your place by lying about my name. My real fans have forgiven me we are moving on and don’t worry I’ll make it easier for you I’ll never set foot in your Venue. Thank you,” he said under the lounge’s Instagram post.
While Maphuma’s alleged apology hasn’t been palatable to the general public, prominent household names within the music space have chimed in to back Maphuma.
Grammy-winning DJ and house master Black Coffee posted Scotts Maphuma’s name along with the emoji of praying hands, possibly signalling acceptance.
BET Award-winning star Makhadzi also had kind words for Scotts, stating, in broken English, that she felt like apologising to the public on Scotts’s behalf, while also mitigating his conduct by positing that his attitude was prompted by him not paying enough attention to the people who elevated him: the fans.
Pioneering vet Oskido was also spotted with Maphuma for a link up and an exchange of minds. On his Instagram, the “I Believe” hitmaker captioned the post with the words: “Always room to listen, reflect and grow. Proud of the young king exciting steps ahead.”
Scotts Maphuma with Oskido | SUPPLIED