Mzwanele Manyi continues to catch smoke over 2018 Thabo Bester event

South Africa - Johannesburg - 10 April 2022 - Jacob Zuma foundation Mzwanele Manyi announced that Zuma will institute private prosecution proceedings against private prosecution of Advocate Billy Downer.Picture: Itumeleng English/African News Agency (ANA)

South Africa - Johannesburg - 10 April 2022 - Jacob Zuma foundation Mzwanele Manyi announced that Zuma will institute private prosecution proceedings against private prosecution of Advocate Billy Downer.Picture: Itumeleng English/African News Agency (ANA)

Published Apr 18, 2023

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Johannesburg - Former government spokesperson Mzwanele Manyi continues to catch heat over his attendance at the infamous launch of Thabo Bester’s 21st Century Fox Media more than five years ago.

Manyi said he was not aware that the event was associated with the “Facebook rapist” and now recaptured prison escapee.

He appeared as one of those who were part of the shindig held at the Hilton Hotel in Sandton sometime in 2018.

The event was part of the Women in Media conference, organised by Bester’s 21st Century Media, which turned out to be another of Bester’s lavish scams.

Last week, Manyi even commended the organisers of the event for staging a well-organised event.

But this week, Manyi, who is currently the spokesperson for the Jacob Zuma Foundation, slammed Independent Media for publishing "lies" about him, saying this publication carried a misleading narrative about him.

“This is bad journalism. Misleading and malicious narrative by @IOL. I did NOT attend a Thabo Bester anything. I attended the launch of 21st Century Media Company. During the dinner they decided to play the ‘Tom Motsepe’ clip and wished him happy birthday," Manyi quipped following ”The Star’s“ recent article.

However, social media users on Twitter continued to mock Manyi over his attendance of an event associated with the infamous Bester, who was last week re-arrested in Tanzania, where he and his customary law wife, Nandipha Magudumana, had been in hiding.

One of the Twitter users who goes by the name of ZolaSigubude said Manyi must admit that he attended the event organised by Thabo Bester.

"The fact remains you were there and you sing a happy birthday Thangane, and you have not committed any offence," Sigubude said.

Another user urged Manyi to ignore the media response and just focus on important issues.

@Inigo_za tweeted: "I'm hardly against you, but if I was you, I was gonna mize this as a non-issue because not sure how one can ever spin this."

@Christo88780143: "But you sang your lungs out and even went to the part ethi ‘how old are you now?’😩 worse wade wabuza liphi ikhekhe? 😭😭"

It would seem Manyi is not impressed with Independent Media following the publication of this article, and no matter how hard he tried to spin the matter, social media users continue to mock him for having attended an event held under false pretences.

The Star