30 June 2026
MEDIA STATEMENT
For Immediate Release
Attention: Editors / Reporters
by uMngeni Media
Pursuant to the statement I made in my Twitter account, East Coast Radio, and which was published in The Witness and The Mercury newspapers to the effect that a preliminary investigation had revealed that Mhlanga Incorporated had seriously overcharged the uMngeni Local Municipality for up to three times above industry rates and had taken advantage of a serious matter faced by the Municipality.
And pursuant to summons issued by Mhlanga Incorporated against uMngeni Local Municipality and Honourable Mayor Cllr Christopher Pappas in the High Court of Pietermaritzburg under case no. 14927/22P in which Mhlanga Incorporated sued the Honourable Mayor, Cllr Christopher Pappas and the uMngeni Local Municipality for defamation and causing injury to Mhlanga Incorporated’s good name.
And pursuant to the parties having reflected on the matter and in the spirit of settling the matter without further hostilities.
The Honourable Mayor Cllr Christopher Pappas hereby withdraws all the statements he made that resulted in the summons issued by Mhlanga Incorporated against him and the uMngeni Local Municipality, and he unreservedly apologizes for any injury caused to the name of Mhlanga Incorporated as a result of those statements.
ENDS