Fikile Mbalula lays criminal charge against Somizi Mhlongo at Sandton Police Station

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Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula on Friday opened a criminal charge against Somizi Mhlongo at the Sandton police station in Johannesburg after a video of Somizi Mhlongo claiming that he was told about the lockdown extension went viral just hours before President Cyril Ramaphosa's an

Hours before President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that South Africa's COVID-19 lockdown would be extended until the end of April, Somizi Mhlongo mentioned that Mbalula had given him a heads-up on the extension. He subsequently apologised to Fikile Mbalula for his “joke,” saying: “I'm just like you, I did not know about it, I was just guessing.”

 

Fikile Mbalula reacted by saying he was not willing to allow his name to be dropped into conversations as if it was true that he had leaked vital information about the Lockdown extension.

 

“I've got a good relationship with Somizi, he's my friend, but the fact of the matter of that ... we must not mix business with pleasure, the regulations of the Disaster Management are guiding us ... not to spread malice, to spread disinformation.” Fikile Mbalula said on Friday.

 

Metro FM also slammed comments made by Somizi Mhlongo in a statement, SABC spokesperson Mmoni Seapolelo said the broadcaster did not tolerate any behaviour in contravention of government's rules and regulations.

 

“The SABC regrets the incident concerning Metro FM on-air personality, Mr Somizi Mhlongo-Motaung. Though Mr Mhlongo-Motaung's utterances were not part of the broadcast of his programme on Metro FM, we would like to put it on record that we do not tolerate any behaviour that is in contravention with the government's regulations under the Disaster Management Act on Fake News and information peddling.”

 

Dineo Ranaka abruptly cut off her live broadcast as soon as Mhlongo confirmed it was Fikile Mbalula who he was referring to. 

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