Somizi Sets the Record Straight on Company Salary Dispute. Image credit: Citizen/ Instagram
Somizi Mhlongo Denies Allegations, Calls Media Reports Completely False and Misleading
(The Post News) – Well-known multi-media personality Somizi Mhlongo has vehemently refuted recent media claims, calling them “wholly untrue and deceptive.”
The controversy started when Sunday World reported that Mhlongo and his business partner Lindo Maleho were being pursued by a sheriff for unpaid salary at Search Light (Pty) Ltd, their cleaning services company. The report stated how the sheriff apparently attempted repeated visits to a Sandton office, to find it unoccupied. It asserted that the sheriff was authorized to seize and sell the business’s movable assets in order to recoup R165,402.62 in total, plus interest.
“We are now exploring other avenues to seize their assets as per the enforcement order, a spokesman of the Hotellica union, in remarks quoted in the article. We are aware that they might still have a Carlton Centre office, and we think there might be assets there that can be attached,” stated Thabiso Putswe.
In a prompt Instagram response, Mhlongo addressed the accusations head-on and clarified the situation. He stated unequivocally that he was not associated with the business that was the subject of the story. “I want to make it very clear that the business mentioned in the article is not mine, has never been registered in my name, and I have no connection to it at all. The assertions are wholly untrue and deceptive,” he wrote.
He also considered the media’s obligations in his comments, voicing alarm at the dissemination of unconfirmed information. He emphasized the possible damage that such false information might do to people’s reputations as well as to public perception. The publication of such false material without adequate verification is quite worrisome since it has the ability to damage people’s reputations and mislead the public. When reporting, I implore media organizations to adhere to the values of truthfulness and responsibility,” he stated.
He sought to clear up any misunderstandings and guarantee that the public was given correct information by openly responding to the accusations. His remarks highlight how crucial fact-checking and ethical journalism are, especially when people’s reputations are on the line.
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