Ngizwe Mchunu Ngizwe Mchunu rejects claims he burned down his house.
Image: ITUMELENG ENGLISH
Controversial media personality Ngizwe Mchunu has slammed claims that he set his own house alight.
Mchunu said he would never destroy his own property for attention. He said those alluding to this don't like him and are celebrating his pain.
Speaking to Durban Network Media & Podcast, Mchunu admitted that he was shaken by what happened, despite saying he has become almost immune to fear after years of living under pressure.
Three men allegedly stormed the property and set parts of the house on fire.
"Like everyone else, I was deeply shocked, even though I have grown not to be," he told the network.
"My bodyguards can tell you, if something pops off, like a gun, they're the ones who get a fright, I have long erased that reaction to things from my system."
In the aftermath of the blaze, Mchunu said he was forced to reflect deeply, drawing on Zulu tradition to make sense of the incident.
"In the same vein, in Zulu tradition, when something happens, one has to look at oneself before anyone else."
He also claimed he has many enemies and suggested some may be pleased to see him suffering.
"I have a lot of enemies, including Julius Malema and the LGBTQ+ community. So, it's their time to celebrate. But we'll see who will end up on top."
Mchunu strongly pushed back against claims circulating online that he may have [allegedly] set the fire himself to gain sympathy or media attention.
He dismissed the suggestion as absurd, saying no sane person would willingly destroy their own home and put their family through such trauma.
According to Mchunu, the fire has deeply affected his children, who have now lost not only their sense of safety but also essential school materials.
He said their schoolwork, assignments and learning resources were all destroyed in the blaze.
"No matter how drunk one can get, you wouldn’t sleep and wake up and choose to burn your own house down.
"My children didn't go to school; their class assignments burned down and other learning materials. But now, people are saying I burned down the house because I want attention."
Actor and anti-illegal immigration activist Nkosinathi Ndabandaba, better known as Phakelumthakathi, alleged that the fire at the rural homestead was a deliberate attack after a group of men reportedly arrived searching for the former radio presenter.
"Those people came searching for Ngizwe. He wasn't home. When they left, the children saw that the house was on fire," he said.
IOL has reached out to police for comment.
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