Fikile Mbalula to lay charges against Somizi over Lockdown extension 'joke'

Minister of transport Fikile Mbalula will on Friday open a case against Idols SA judge Somizi Mhlongo for “name dropping and misinformation”.

This comes after a video surfaced online of Somizi telling his Metro FM colleague Dineo Ranaka on Thursday morning that there would be a lockdown extension. Somizi said he had heard the information from “Fikile”.

Dineo abruptly cuts off her live broadcast as soon as Somizi confirmed it was Mbalula who he was referring to.

Mbalula distanced himself from the claims and in a statement shared on his Twitter page early Friday morning, the department of transport announced that the minister would take action be opening a case against Somizi 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,” it read in part.

Somizi later apologised for his comment and in a series of social media posts claimed it was a “bad joke” made to scare his colleague.

“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 on Twitter.

In a video apology posted to Instagram, Somizi 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 Somizi about the lockdown extension and said those who doubted could check his phone or ask Somizi.

He later reposted Somizi's apology and said it had been accepted.