Fans are always scrolling social media hoping for something spicy from their faves, but what they didn’t expect was Lasizwe telling them how to spend their coins. Yep, you heard right — Lasizwe Dambuza himself told fans not to vote for him.
So here’s the thing: The South African Social Media Awards (SASMAs) are back. The nominee list is hotter than ever, and the awards will take place on 22 November, 2025, with voting open until November 8.
Lasizwe is sitting pretty with three big nominations: African Social Media Star of the Year, Most Popular Content Across Platforms, and Social Media Personality of the Year.
In the African Social Media Star category, he’s up against some serious heavy-hitters — think Tyla, Black Coffee, Khaby Lame, and more.
You would expect someone in Lasizwe’s position to be out here rallying fans, begging for votes, and flooding timelines with campaign posts — but nope, not him. Instead, he jumped on Tiktok and dropped a video saying, “Don’t vote for me.”
Why exactly he asked the public not to vote for him
In this case, Lasizwe seemed to be thinking of everyone’s wallets before his own wins. He told the public not to vote for him — not because he didn’t want the recognition, but because he knows times are tough. With rising costs and financial stress hitting many, he made it clear that votes shouldn’t come at the expense of their pocket.
Sharing his reasons in the video, Lasizwe said:
“The voting system costs money, and I do not believe you should have to pay to show support. That money could go towards bread, electricity, taxi fare and actual survival.”
“I cannot in good conscience ask you to spend your hard-earned money so I can hold a piece of glass that will collect dust. Your support, your comments, your views, your love. That is the real award.” he said.
Netizens reaction
Lasizwe may have meant well with his message — being thoughtful and trying to save the public from spending their money — but the internet wasn’t having it. Netizens made it clear: he’s not about to tell them what to do with their coins!
Here’s what the reactions looked like:
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