Somizi Mhlongo has responded to accusations that he fabricated a WhatsApp tribute from the late Mbongeni Ngema following the veteran's passing. After Mbongeni died tragically in a car accident on December 27th, Somizi took to Instagram to share a screenshot of a purported final text from the playwright thanking him for his constant support "without provocation."
However, the post was met with skeptical backlash from social media users who critiqued the seeming memorial as lacking sensitivity.
On Tuesday, Somizi took to his timeline to set the record straight.
“There is a group called Mbongeni Tribute, a group that we’ve had for the past five years. It’s all the cast members in that group. When I heard about the passing, we were talking in the group and I was telling the group that he just sent me a message like this a few days ago and I wanted to share it with them,” he said.
“I sent the same message not realising that it is a message that looks like I have sent myself to Mbongeni. I hope you get it and I am never going to explain this again. And I get why there was a huge uproar and I am not the type. I was just sharing how special this message was and how amazing that it happened a few days before he passed on.
“That was the mistake … whether you believe it or you don’t, I explained it. Whoever was swearing at me, is justifiable … here’s the explanation, take or don’t take it, we have to move on. I wish I could wake buti Mbongeni to tell you he’s the one who sent the message before he passed, but, believes or you don’t that’s your problem. I didn’t want it to outshine my mourning process because the funeral is on Friday and I wanted to get it over and done with.”
