Mbabane – A businesswoman now at the centre of a social media firestorm, ignited by a video that allegedly shows her kicking someone said to be one of her workers, says she believes she is the subject of a sinister conspiracy aimed at turning civil society against her.
Busi Mabuza said the video that surfaced on social media platforms last week is 10 years old.
She said it was taken in 2016 in a matter that was long resolved in court.
By posting it on social media as if it is something that has just happened, someone was deliberately inciting public anger against her by creating a false impression that she was a callous and cruel employer who regularly beats her staff.
“That’s just not true,” said Busi, who broke her silence for the first time since the public furore broke out on several apparently coordinated social media platforms.
“That’s just not me. I can’t recognise the person they are trying to portray,” said Mabuza-Dlamini in an interview.
“They selected a small clip of the last part of the video. I challenge them to publish the entire video so people can see that I was protecting myself against an unprovoked physical and verbal attack.”
Narrating the source of the ordeal that has unleashed an outbreak of social media anger, Busi said she had travelled to Italy in 2016.
When she returned, she went through the business account records.
“I found many disturbing discrepancies. I then instructed the staff responsible to do a proper balance of the daily cash takings because they did not add up. There was a lot of money that had been used for purchases, but the income that should have been there was not there,” she said.
“At face value, my calculations, without even going deeper, showed that about E32,000 was missing. The staff member responsible did not have a clear explanation.”
“I then told her, ‘Sisi, I’m not going to put pressure on you. I want you to take your time and balance up.’” Busi said she had an errand to attend to in Malkerns that morning.
She said in response the employee replied, “Okay, Make.”
However, along the way she was allegedly alerted that the staff member who was supposed to balance the books had decided to pack up and leave.
She said she turned back immediately and arrived just in time to find the employee outside.
Busi said she got out of the car and asked how she could leave without giving her the report she had been instructed to prepare.
She said she addressed her calmly, but what followed took her by surprise.
“She stormed at me and you could see that she had suppressed fury. She started hurling all manner of vulgarities and insults at me. She then charged at me with her fists. Fortunately, I was able to block her and pushed her and she fell. Everything happened so quickly,” she said.
She said the whole incident happened in the car park.
“I had come out of my car as she was trying to get into her car. The video shows only the last part of the incident. It does not show what happened leading to that. So I plead with the person with the video to be fair enough to release the entire footage for the world to see,” she said.
As a result, she feels the incident was planned.
She said she believes people are angry because they think this is something new or that it is happening for a second time.
Public outrage was subsequently reflected by a group of activists who picketed at the lodge last Friday.
“The impression being created is not true. It is false in the truest sense, and I feel like there is someone out there pushing a deliberate narrative with a mandate on an undisclosed mission,” she said.
She said by the grace of God she hoped the truth would come out soon.
“That’s not me. The character they are describing is not me. I know who I am. I know the person I am. I know the kind of discipline I give to employees when they have not done right. That is not me and it will never be me,” she said.
Video launches progressives to toyi-toyi
Six members of progressive political forces, led by Nontsetselelo Nkambule of Young Women of Africa and Mpendulo Hlanze, Deputy Chairperson of SWALIMO’s Manzini region, as well as activists from the proscribed PUDEMO and Swazi Lives Matter, picketed outside the Dwaleni Farm Lodge on Thursday.
This followed an outbreak of social media posts accusing some managers of abusing staff.
Dwaleni Farm Lodge manager Msane said they held a staff meeting at the lodge on Thursday morning to allay concerns about the social media posts.
“We advised them not to concern themselves with the posts as management would handle them. I had a feeling that something would happen,” he said.
Indeed, when picketers arrived at the lodge that afternoon between 12pm and 1pm waving placards, staff fled as they feared what might happen.
“We invited them to sit down so that we could talk,” he said.
‘This is hurting all of us,’ says business owner
“It has hurt me a lot to see this thing on social media,” lamented Nkosinathi Dlamini, owner of the Dwaleni Farm Lodge.
“I want to make it clear that this is my business. I established it and started it. Make Mabuza, who is being attacked here, is my wife. I gave her the business to run because of her expertise in the hospitality industry,” he said.
Referring to the social media storm surrounding their business, he said ordinarily he would not be worried, as any business that involves interactions with people may experience disagreements from time to time.
“Sometimes employers and staff have differences, but these are resolved through normal channels. Where it is a labour dispute, it is reported to the Commissioner of Labour and, if necessary, escalated to CMAC,” he said.
“The case that has inflamed emotions was reported to the labour department in 2016 and was dismissed. The complainant later laid charges with the police at Matsapha. The case was tried by Magistrate Lucia Lukhele. On the third appearance, we were surprised to be told that the complainant had withdrawn the case,” he said.
Dlamini said the issue was now resurfacing 10 years later as though it were something new.
“No one is asking us anything. All we are experiencing is a flood of insults on social media. Progressives have even come to toyi-toyi on the premises and threaten to close us down,” he said.
He added that his wife was no longer managing the business, as she went on study leave in 2024. Since then, day-to-day operations have been handled by his younger son, Sihle.
He said Mabuza only comes in on special occasions when some clients request her specifically for décor and catering for weddings, meetings and other events.
“Nevertheless, on my behalf, I plead for forgiveness from anyone we may have offended and request, in the Christian spirit, that anyone who worked here and feels they were treated unfairly report their case to the Commissioner of Labour so that we can sit down and resolve the matter,” he said.
Msane described Make Busi Mabuza-Dlamini as a very considerate person, saying staff are provided with food and accommodation.
“What I have noted is that Make regularly asks, ‘Gentlemen, nidlile yini?’ She buys food and assigns someone to prepare meals,” he said.
Msane dismissed claims that staff are overworked.
“We operate a two-shift system. The first shift runs from 7am to 3pm and hands over to the second shift from 3pm to 10pm, Monday to Thursday. It is only on Fridays and Saturdays, when we have bookings for parties and special occasions, that we work longer hours. When we anticipate being busy, we hire casual staff,” he said.
“Since I have been here, I have observed that Make is not a harsh person. She raises her voice when something has gone wrong, but when everything is in order, she is very pleasant.”
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