If there’s one thing South Africans will unite over it’s when someone tries to steal something that originated or was created in the country.
Enter popular TikTokker Ehiz Ufuah, who has 10.2 million followers and close to 450 million likes.
The UK-based content creator decided to join in on the amapiano wave and posted a video of him dancing with a friend to “It Ain't Me” by Dj Abux x Soulking Remix featuring Innocent.
The dance routine they were doing included distinctively South African dance moves, with the routine being created by local TikTokker Thato Mokoena.
However, in the caption of the post, Ehiz claimed that he himself and his friend were the dance creators.
South African TikTok didn’t take kindly to him claiming a dance routine that a local creator came up with – especially since an uproar has been made many times previously when bigger TikTokkers steal dance routines from smaller creators, and not only get the views and likes but also other monetary opportunities.
Mzansi got in formation and swiftly camped in his comment section, telling Ehiz to give credit to the original creator.
Instead of listening to the many South African TikTok users, Ehiz decided to argue and be snarky with some users, and replied to one commenter that said: “You didn’t create this dance at all. South Africans have been doing this dance for years”.
To which he posted a video lip-syncing to the sound saying: “It is never that deep”.
While initially, South African TikTok users were just asking Ehiz to give proper credit, his response to being called out shifted the attitude from asking nicely to users going into full cyberbully mode with people swearing at him in various South African languages.
@icon_thulani ##greenscreensticker ##greenscreen I live for y’all🤣![CDATA[]]>🤣❤️❤️🇿![CDATA[]]>🇦![CDATA[]]>🇿![CDATA[]]>🇦![CDATA[]]>🙌![CDATA[]]>🏾 ehiz should rest ##tiktoksouthafrica ##mzansibestmemer ##🇿![CDATA[]]>🇦
♬ original sound - Icon Thulani
@brently_p ##stitch with @_ehiz
♬ original sound - Brently Perumal
@3rdworldrebel Reply to @_ehiz the lesson is plagiarism 🧑![CDATA[]]>🏿🎓
♬ original sound - 3.W.R👁
@brently_p Reply to @razeenahwoolf the comments on his videos from South Africans are ELITE. YOU HAVE TO SEE IT @_ehiz
♬ original sound - Brently Perumal
Local TikTokker Yolanda Glover weighed in on the matter in a duet explaining to Ehiz why it is that deep.
She said: “It is that deep brother, let me tell you why. This is Thato, ’hey Thato’.
“She’s South African just like I am and this is the original creator of the dance that you said you created.
“You had the audacity to be arrogant in your comments section saying that you made the dance, thinking that South Africans wouldn’t notice, we did. Because we’re tired of being swept under the rug.
“We create dances, they go viral overseas but we don’t even get recognised for it and we don’t even get compensated for it.
“But we know that in London they compensate you for your content. So before you start being so arrogant think first about what you’re doing impacts those that should be getting the credit.”
@thatgirlyoli ##stitch with @_ehiz give @callherthato her credit please,✊🏾![CDATA[]]>💚![CDATA[]]>🖤❤️##panafrican ##theyolieffect ##africandiaspora ##problack ##strongertogether
♬ original sound - Yolanda
Thato also posted a video explaining why credit is important using an example of another user who has gone viral because of her dance routines.
@callherthato ❤️Hopefully this makes it to the fyp ❤️
♬ It Ain't Me (Dj Abux x Soulking Remix ft Innocent) - Bokang_titi🥂
Following this, Ehiz deleted the original post along with the “it’s not that deep” response and posted a new dance video with his friend using the same sound. However, instead of crediting Thato he decided credit the “the whole nation of South Africa”.
@_ehiz DC: THEEEEEEEEEEEEE WHOLE NATION OF SOUTH AFRICA 🇿![CDATA[]]>🇦![CDATA[]]>🇿![CDATA[]]>🇦![CDATA[]]>🇿![CDATA[]]>🇦![CDATA[]]>🇿![CDATA[]]>🇦![CDATA[]]>🇿![CDATA[]]>🇦![CDATA[]]>🇿![CDATA[]]>🇦![CDATA[]]>🇿![CDATA[]]>🇦![CDATA[]]>🇿![CDATA[]]>🇦![CDATA[]]>🇿![CDATA[]]>🇦![CDATA[]]>🇿![CDATA[]]>🇦![CDATA[]]>🇿![CDATA[]]>🇦![CDATA[]]>🇿![CDATA[]]>🇦![CDATA[]]>🇿![CDATA[]]>🇦![CDATA[]]>🇿![CDATA[]]>🇦![CDATA[]]>🇿![CDATA[]]>🇦![CDATA[]]>🇿![CDATA[]]>🇦 ##fyp @sipsjooce
♬ It Ain't Me (Dj Abux x Soulking Remix ft Innocent) - Bokang_titi🥂
And while Thato was done with the whole dispute,
@callherthato ##itaintmechallenge @itsjustnifee @sis.stay.hot @kaylakimkay @thatgirlyoli ❤️Thank you bo Cuzzy you are all my cousins no ways ! ##callherthato
♬ original sound - Thato Immaculate @callherthato
South African TikTok still had a bone to pick with him and posted response videos, with many users calling his response sarcastic and unnecessary, in the comment section.
@wyattmiddendeysel ##stitch with @_ehiz If you don’t know how to credit the dancer, here’s an example: dc: @callherthato hope that helped 😄![CDATA[]]>👍![CDATA[]]>🏽
♬ original sound - Wyatt Midden Deysel
@manyhoodies ##stitch with @_ehiz | I'm just tired. ##fyp ##foryou ##viral ##blackgirl ##tiktoksouthafrica ##southafrica ##tiktoksa
♬ original sound - ...
@jessicamashaba20 i wouldn’t choose any other country to be honest 🤣![CDATA[]]>🤣![CDATA[]]>🤣 ##jessicamashaba20 ##fyp ##risingvoices I love y’all
♬ original sound - Jessica Mashaba