AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER
THE South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) has called for television personality and choreographer Somizi Mhlongo-Motaung to answer for his actions after doxxing two journalists this week.
The entertainer was approached by a City Press journalist, who was requesting to communicate with him on the allegations that he was filing for divorce from his husband, Mohale Motaung.
Somizi responded via text to the request saying, “Please make my year and write the story as I will sue the living hell out of you and your publication for this crap you are asking me….get your facts right or go join Sunday World”.
The Idols’ SA judge then took a screenshot of the text and posted it on his Instagram profile with the caption, “So @city_press has become a tabloid…okay…two can play that game…”.
Picture: Instagram/somizi
Somizi continued on by asking his followers to dial the journalist’s number. He then took aim at the acting editor of the Sunday World, Kabelo Khumalo.
Khumalo had reached out to the star on the allegations that his show with channel 1Magic, ‘Dinner at Somizi’s’, was put on hold by Multichoice due to legal proceedings instituted by Hastings Moeng.
The ‘Dinner at Somizi’s’ star has since deleted the posts, but SANEF has issued a statement calling for Somizi to apologise to the journalists, calling his actions potentially unlawful and irresponsible.
SANEF said: “Furthermore, we call on the journalists to lay charges of intimidation and for MultiChoice to officially distance themselves from Mhlongo’s comments. Instead of responding to the questions raised, Mhlongo opted to insult Khumalo and his parents, calling them obscene names and abused Madibogo. Mhlongo further took a screengrab of the text of his conversation with both journalists and used his Instagram account to reveal the text and cellphone numbers of the journalists.
“We believe this is irresponsible in the extreme and potentially unlawful conduct. Mhlongo has a massive support base and a following in excess of almost 4-million on the Instagram social platform and his followers have resorted to intimidation and harassment of journalists on all social media platforms.”
SANEF also called for the entertainer to call on his fans to stop harassing and intimidating the journalists.
