Hoax water message leads to a case of sabotage
Three minor children have been identified as some of those that have forwarded the hoax message placed on informal WhatsApp groups in town.
LYDENBURG – Thaba Chweu Local Municipality (TCLM) has opened a case of sabotage after various WhatsApp messages have surfaced where residents are warned that the municipality’s water has been contaminated.
Three minor children have been identified as some of those that have forwarded the hoax message placed on informal WhatsApp groups in town.
The message states that drinking water should not be consumed as “something” fell into the water. It further reads that residents should be very careful and that children should be kept away from any taps.
Officials of TCLM, Deon Broekman of Rapid Response, the newspaper, two of the three minor children and their parents all attended a meeting at the SAPS offices.
Col. Chris Heymans explained that this is an extremely serious case as it affects all the residents in town. TCLM confirmed that this is a hoax message and said that they will be taking the necessary steps of opening a case of sabotage against the person responsible for forwarding the original message.
The message seems to have originated in the Eastern Cape’s Kouga Municipal district and somehow managed to implicate TCLM when forwarded.
Broekman said that this is a perfect example of his previous warning relating to informal Whatsapp groups in town. Steelburger/Lydenburg News has four official Whatsapp groups of which Broekman and SAPS members form part of where information is monitored and checked before any placements are made.
TCLM and the SAPS said they are sending out a stern warning that such hoax messages can and will have serious repercussions.
