The KwaZulu-Natal provincial government has denied reports that it spent R50 million on the funeral of Kwaito and Gqom musician, Mandla “Mampintsha” Maphumulo.

The KZN based musician passed away last week after suffering a stroke.

“The KwaZulu-Natal provincial government is regrettably forced to respond to the false rumours being spread on social media regarding its financial support to the [family].

“Our regret arises from the fact that the family is still in a period of mourning, and in line with ubuntu, this period requires of us to support and respect the family as they come to terms with the loss of their flesh and blood.

“However, as a transparent and accountable government, we wish to clarify that the support provided by the provincial government to the bereaved families did not exceed R220 000. There is simply no truth to the insinuation that the province may have used R50 million,” the provincial government said in a statement.

The statement explained that some R170 000 was contributed by the Office of the Premier, while a further R50 000 was spent by the KZN Department of Sport Arts and Culture.

According to the provincial government, the allegations regarding the R50 million stem from a statement made in the name of former KZN Premier, Dr Sbusiso Ndebele – a statement he has since denounced.

“Fortunately, this statement, which was meant for confusion purposes, has also been rejected outright as fake news by [the] former Premier. We welcome the [new] statement from former Premier Ndebele, which settles the matter once and for all.

“This was clearly the work of wedge drivers who want to sow division between the ANC, government on one hand, and artists and society on the other, for their own nefarious intentions,” the statement read.

The provincial government appealed to the public to “be circumspect, and not to abuse the power of social media by spreading false information”.

“Similarly, we urge the people of our province not to take everything that is published in social media at face value. There are credible and reputable sources of news and media houses that are obliged to subject their news content to professional and ethical checks and balances, and which can be held accountable.

“For the record, the KZN government has over many years been supporting artists in KZN, including Big NUZ and many others. There is demonstrable evidence to this fact. This reality has been attested to by the artists themselves on various platforms,” the statement said.

Source: South African Government News Agency