Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula files a case against Somizi Mhlongo at the Sandton Police Station for fake news and misinformation peddling.
He is taking a drastic action against name dropping and misinformation by SA GOT talent host, SOMIZI MHLONGO.
Mbalula has scheduled to Sandton Police Station Friday morning to report the contravention of the Government Lockdown Regulations by 10:00am.
This comes after a video surfaced online where Mhlongo was suggesting to his Metro FM colleague Dineo Ranaka that there would definitely be a lockdown extension, just hours before it was officially announced by the president.
Listen very carefully…
However Mhlongo has apologized for his ungaurded comment in a series of social media posts saying that it was a “bad joke”
According to Mhlongo he got the information from “Fikile”.
This prompted Ranaka to cut off abruptly the live broadcast as soon as Mhlongo confirmed it was Mbalula who he was referring to.
In a quick response, Mbalula distanced himself from the claims and in a statement shared on his Twitter page on early Friday morning, the department of transport announced that the minister would take action by opening a case against Mhlongo for contravening the government lockdown regulations.
“Minister Mbalula will be at Sandton Police Station Friday morning to report the contravention of the Government Lockdown Regulations as published under the Disaster Management Act on fake news and misinformation peddling,” it read.
“It was a bad joke on my part. I did say to my colleague later that I was joking and that I never spoke to the minister at any point I was just scaring her. Again I’m sorry for the bad joke and I apologise to the minister for such a dangerous statement,” he said via Twitter.
In a video apology posted to Instagram, Mhlongo added: “I realise now that the president has announced an extension that it’s going to seem like I knew about it.
“I’m just like you, I did not know about it, I was just guessing. I think like everybody else I had a feeling that it was gonna be extended.”
Mbalula denied that he had told Mhlongo about the lockdown extension and said those who doubted could check his phone or ask the star.
He later reposted Mhlongo’s apology and said it had been accepted.
Implication of their actions could be against the oath of the office which could cost the minister his job.
He has broken the Oath that he signed as the member of the Executive on his Ministerial position.
Read this below”..
Oath or solenm affirmation of ministers and deputy ministers.
Each minister and Deputy minister before the chief justice or another judge designated by the chief justice must swear/ affirms as follows.
I ……… swear/solemnly affirm that I will be faithful to the republic of South Africa and will obey, respect and uphold the constitution and all other law of the republic; and I undertake to hold my office as minister/deputy minister with honour and dignity; to be a true and faithful counsellor; not to divulge directly or indirectly any secret matter entrusted to me; and to perform the functions of my office conscientiously and to the best of my ability.”