Somizi Mhlongo's case regarding lockdown 'joke' about Fikile Mbalula is postponed

Media personality Somizi Mhlongo's case of contravening the Disaster Management Act was on Friday postponed until July 23 for further investigation.

The case was also postponed to allow for the outcome of representations made by Mhlongo's legal team to the National Prosecuting Authority.

Mhlongo was arrested in April and granted bail of R1,500.

Transport minister Fikile Mbalula opened a case against Mhlongo at the Sandton police station for allegedly breaching disaster management regulations related to "information dissemination and misinformation".

Hours before President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that SA's coronavirus lockdown would be extended until the end of April, Mhlongo had asserted in an Instagram video that Mbalula had given him a heads-up about the extension.

Mhlongo subsequently apologised to Mbalula for his “joke”, saying: “I'm just like you, I did not know about it. I was just guessing.”