Durban — South African businessman Mcebisi Mlonzi has refuted reports which suggested he was detained in Zambia on Thursday when he was found with gold and US dollars in his possession.
Online publication The Bulrushes has reported Mlonzi was awaiting trial in Zambia after he was arrested together with nine others, which included his security personnel, passengers and crew.
According to the publication that produced the photos, a private plane which Mlonzi used was also impounded. The publication said Mlonzi was arrested by the Zambian Drug Enforcement Unit. The publication added that their passports were confiscated during their arrest on Thursday. The business plane was enroute to South Africa from Egypt and had landed in Zambia for refuelling
According to a statement issued by Cheryl Frappier, Mlonzi is currently in South Africa. Frappier said the reports were fake news and called it a systematic smear campaign of false reporting.
“The fake news and baseless allegations are firmly and categorically refuted; they are without merit and reflect a shocking lapse in journalistic integrity. The published malicious stories, unsupported by any credible or authoritative sources, have been further disseminated through screenshots on messaging platforms, including WhatsApp, amplifying their harmful reach.
“Mlonzi, a highly regarded businessman within the South African community, has absolutely no connection to the events described in these deceitful stories. Mlonzi is currently in South Africa, where he continues his professional commitments and family engagements, undeterred by this appalling attempt to smear his reputation,” Frappier said.
The statement further warned the public and media outlets to exercise both caution and discernment when encountering these unfounded claims. Frappier said she recognised the urgency of combating misinformation, especially when it was deliberately crafted to deceive and harm, adding that efforts were under way to communicate with The Bulrushes to demand the immediate retraction of these malicious fake news articles.
Frappier added that if these measures seemed to be insufficient, they were ready to take the appropriate legal action. Attempts to get either Frappier or Mlonzi himself were unsuccessful at the time of publication.
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Daily News