Businessman Vivian Reddy and the MK Party’s vocal backer in KwaZulu-Natal, Visvin Reddy, have spoken out about how their identities have been confused and causing unwanted confusion.
Due to the similarities in their names and the way it is pronounced, people have been confusing the businessman for the politician and vice versa. The fact that both men share the same surname “Reddy” does not make it easier to differentiate them.
Vivian Reddy, 71, posted a video on social media this week about the confusion, saying there have been a number of social media accounts spreading false information about him.
He said he was not involved with any parliamentary list for any political party, as the rhetoric of him being a party funder was spread by “devious” accounts.
“There are certain devious propaganda social media accounts that have been spreading misinformation claiming that I am funding or establishing political parties. I deny these baseless allegations and fake news. I believe in the power of unity and cooperation to achieve our shared goals. My political allegiance is clear and well-known to most South Africans and has not changed. I kindly request your support in dispelling any confusion or misinformation surrounding these matters,” he said in the video.
Visvin Reddy, 53, told the POST that he received calls daily from people asking for large sums of donations and other forms of charity because they were under the impression that he was a wealthy businessman.
He said he watched the video in which Vivian Reddy spoke about the spread of misinformation regarding both their names.
“He and I are not friends of any kind but we do know each other. I think the confusion is on the public side. This happens every day where I get a phone call from someone asking for money, and these are large sums of money. They ask for donations of all kinds because they think I’m a businessman. But more so than the phone calls, I think what is being spread about us on social media is wrong. People on social media use the platform to share sick, negative and malicious allegations.
“If I had to respond to all of these people behind the fake accounts, I would sit all day responding and if you respond to them, you make them credible. So I have now come to the point where I am ignoring them because they are spreading false and damaging allegations.
“They made it seem as if Vivian Reddy is this big political funder supporting the party (MK Party) but that is false. Many of the people sharing these videos and information deliberately create fake accounts to attack people,” Visvin Reddy said.
The POST