Eastern Cape businessman, Man B, has threatened to slap media personality Somizi Mhlongo after accusing him of failing to fulfill his duties as the MC at his birthday celebration. The confrontation has stirred up a heated exchange between the two, drawing attention on social media and in the press.
According to TimesLive, Man B took to Facebook to express his frustration, accusing Somizi of being unprofessional and disrespecting him at the event. Man B claimed that the media personality only went on stage once before leaving, despite being hired to host the celebration. He expressed his anger over the situation, stating that Somizi’s actions had hurt his reputation and disappointed the attendees who had bought tickets partly because of the MC’s presence.
“I can’t keep quiet because they will continue taking chances with us. When you hire someone with your money and put them on the poster, some of their followers buy tickets to support the person they see on the posters,” Man B wrote. “When you take your own money and bring it to an airport and they decide to promote a different event and say he wants a V-class. I used to respect Somizi, I used to love Somizi. But what he did, I hate him from today. I will slap him when I get him. He stole from me.”
Somizi, however, was quick to respond to these claims. In a series of posts and statements, he denied the accusations, explaining that the event was poorly organized and that he faced multiple logistical issues. According to Somizi, the event organizers failed to provide the necessary transportation from the airport to his hotel, and he had to pay for his own accommodation, security, and return flights to Johannesburg.
Somizi fired back at Man B, saying, “You were not going to get your money back because you inconvenienced me in a whole lot of ways. You can call me names, I honestly don’t care. I don’t know you. I hear you are a bouncer and you hit people. It is fine. I’m not afraid of you.”
He further criticized the event’s organization, calling it “disorganized” and a “flop.” “Ask any artist that was there, they will tell you. Ask any audience member that was there, they will tell you,” Somizi continued. “I met artists who told me they ended up spending more money from their own pockets to cover certain things. And he knows the truth.”
Somizi also made it clear that he is a professional who takes his craft seriously. “I am the most professional. My work ethic is unmatched, but don’t disrespect my craft and don’t disrespect me because I deliver according to how I’m being treated,” he said.
Under Somizi’s Instagram post, Mfundo Sodela, a commenter, shared his thoughts on the situation. Sodela suggested that Man B had been failed by his organizers and mentioned that many event organizers in the Eastern Cape often approach events with a mindset of cutting corners to make a profit. He explained that this may have led to miscommunication and frustration.
“I think Man B was failed by his organizers. Kaloku what you must know about many EC event organizers is that they approach each event with a mindset of ‘organizing a Municipality event,’ in which case they are always looking for ways to get kickbacks,” Sodela wrote. “I would not be surprised nangoku that they were using physical cash to pay for things hence he wanted to be physically there to get things done. Again, for some people keeping time and sticking to agreements is optional.”
He continued by suggesting that Man B could have started with smaller events before attempting something as large as a birthday celebration. “I think Man B also overcommitted himself on this event. I think he could have started very small and grown from there,” he said. “May this not appear as an Eastern Cape standard but a Man B standard. There are still people who are able to organize great events.”
Somizi responded to the comment, defending the Eastern Cape’s event scene but reiterating that this specific event was poorly managed. “Trust me when I say I’ve been getting booked in the Eastern Cape for over 2 decades. That province produces world-class events. I have never had a single issue in all these years. This is the first time,” Somizi stated. “This Man B thought he would get away with it with me as he did with everyone on the lineup. Not a single artist was happy but they were talking behind closed doors.”
Somizi concluded by making it clear that he would never work with Man B again, adding, “I’m a very easy person to work with. I can even compromise on certain things but not on disrespect. So yeah, we move and I will never work with him again. It was my first and last.”
