For Shalate Sekhabi, the actress who captivated Mzansi as Shoki for four years, the line between celebrity gossip and personal violation was crossed this week. Taking to her Instagram Stories on January 21, 2026, Sekhabi revealed that the misinformation had become so widespread that strangers were beginning to approach her in person to congratulate her on a non-existent pregnancy.
From Digital Lies to Real-World Exhaustion
Initially, Shalate intended to ignore the noise, but the escalating situation left her with no choice but to set the record straight.
“I didn’t want to address this and make it a thing because there’s no truth to it, but so many people believe it,” she wrote. “After having several strangers come up to me regarding this, it gets to a point.”
A Call for Accountability
Sekhabi didn’t hold back her frustration with the creators of the fabricated content, questioning the mental state of those who profit from spreading lies about people they have never met.
- The Emotional Toll: She described the ordeal as “extremely violating,” admitting that the fabricated images and posts have been emotionally exhausting.
- The Public’s Role: Shalate urged her fans to stop the cycle of misinformation by reporting the specific links and accounts responsible for the fake news.
- Her Message to Trolls: “Surely such a person [who creates fake news] is not okay upstairs,” she remarked, highlighting the toxic nature of clickbait culture.
As she moves forward into new projects following her emotional exit from House of Zwide in late 2025, Shalate is making it clear: her personal life is not a script for others to write.
