Minister laid a charge against the TV personality for allegedly contravening the government’s lockdown rules
TRANSPORT Minister Fikile Mbalula said on Friday that he was obligated to seek consequences over Somizi Mhlongo following his lockdown joke.
Mbalula spoke to the media outside the Sandton police station on Friday shortly after he laid a charge against the TV personality for allegedly contravening the government’s lockdown rules.
According to an earlier tweet, Mbalula wants Somizi to be charged with Contravening Government Lockdown Regulations as published under the Disaster Management Act on fake news peddling and misinformation peddling.
Mbalula said that while he and Mhlongo are friends “we must never give the impression that we mix business with pleasure and that we discuss Cabinet issues at will and that we brief members of society about what government could be saying.”
Mbalula tweeted that he is “obligated by statutes, policies and regulations of Parliament and government to take action and seek consequences management over matters where my name is name dropped, more especially regarding Cabinet decisions”.
“Even before this, Somizi has been part of social responsibility. Which is a job I think he should continue to do,” Mbalula said.
The minister added that Mhlongo “could have used President Cyril Ramaphosa or anybody’s (name). It is in his nature. He even predicted Miss Universe. So I don’t know if the guy is a sangoma”.
This comes after Somizi, in an Instagram live video with Metro FM colleague Dineo Ranaka, claimed that Mbalula had told him Ramaphosa would extend the nationwide lockdown.
The video sparked an outcry on social media.
Somizi has since taken to Instagram to deny that he had spoken to Mbalula and admitted his bombshell was just a joke. He has also apologised.
