Somizi Mhlongo’s warrant of arrest withdrawn, case again delayed

The case against star radio and television presenter, Somizi Mhlongo, has again been delayed.

Mhlongo appeared before magistrate Heidi Barnard in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court on Friday on a charge of contravening the Disaster Management Act.

Prosecutor Yusuf Baba asked for a postponement for further investigations to be completed.

Addressing the court, Baba said the matter had previously been postponed for further investigations, but that they were still incomplete.

“There are still two or three pages of instructions outstanding,” Baba told Barnard.

Mhlongo was charged for allegedly contravening the Disaster Management Act, after a video in which he was heard talking to his Metro FM co-host Dineo Ranaka, went viral in April.

In the video, Mhlongo told Ranaka that “Fikile” told him that Level 5 of the lockdown would be extended.

After speculation that Mhlongo was referring to Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula , with whom he was also friends, the politician opened a case against the celebrity.

Shortly after, Mhlongo handed himself over to the police and was granted R1 500 bail.

In July, a warrant of arrest was issued against Mhlongo after he failed to appear before the court.

Barnard cancelled the warrant on Friday as Mhlongo had appeared, she said.

The matter was postponed to 16 October.

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