eThekwini Municipality slates rumours it’s funding Cassper’s show

Mark Twain once wrote that “a lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.”

For proof of this look no further than the news that spread this week across social media that the eThekwini Municipality in KZN was going to sponsor Cassper Nyovest’s #FillUpMosesMabhida, which was allegedly going to cost in the region of R56 million.

The municipality subsequently came under fire for wasting taxpayers’ money on the proposed concert. However, while the city said it had been in discussion with the concert’s organisers, no agreement on funding had been concluded.

Official Statement regarding the FAKE NEWS originating from our village cousin Karen Mbatha Courtois. ~sm pic.twitter.com/Qmq79uSJze

— eThekwini Municipality (@eThekwiniM) July 30, 2018

“ethekwini Municipality notes with concerns the fabricated news circulating on social media platforms with regards to the funding of Fill Up Moses Mabhida concert‚ organised by a recording artist Cassper Nyovest for R56-million,” the statement read.

“It should be noted that the City continues to engage with various event organisers to identify leveraging opportunities to market the destination through hosting key events. Events are part of the City’s visitor strategy to market the destination by identifying leveraging opportunities to promote the destination.”

While the artist at the centre of the ensuing Twitterstorm didn’t make any official announcement, Cassper, for his part, took to Twitter comment on the situation, noting, like Twain, that lies have a habit of spreading like wildfire.

Why do lies spread faster than the truth?

— Don Billiato (@casspernyovest) July 30, 2018