Media personality Somizi Mhlongo has broken his silence regarding a WhatsApp message he shared on his timeline after the passing of Mbongeni Ngema.
Ngema died on last Wednesday in a hospital after a car accident. He was a passenger in a car that was struck head-on when he was returning from a funeral in Lusikisiki, in Eastern Cape Province.
Mhlongo was accused by social media users of having sent himself a message and claiming that it was sent to him by Ngema. Mhlongo was labelled an attention seeker and many questioned why he had allegedly gone to such lengths to stay relevant.
Uproar understandable
Taking to social media on Tuesday, Mhlongo said in a video, the past week was hard on him. He further stated that in the past he had made a vow not to explain himself to people but felt he needed to clarify his version of events.Â
“I posted a few days ago a message that was sent to me by Mbongeni Ngema and I get why there was such an uproar. Ibingidla lendaba (the matter was not sitting well with me) and I told myself that I need to correct this,” he said.
Message meant for a WhatsApp group
Mhlongo claims that he is part of a group created by Mbongeni Ngema. When the playwright passed on, as they were engaging in the group chat, he told the members of the group about the message he had previously sent him.
“I get it I thought I had sent the message to the group and I know it looks like I had sent myself that message. I meant to send it to the group, not Mbongeni. I get why there was such an uproar. I am not the type I was just sharing how special that message was to me,” said Mhlongo.
He said critics should either choose to accept or reject his explanation, as he wants to move on.
See full video below:
