Police dismiss Christmas Day stolen bodies and AK-47 wielding Mozambican hijacker as fake news
One of the platforms spreading the fake news appears to be a false Facebook page of Lowvelder’s sister publication, Mpumalanga News.
The Mpumalanga SAPS has categorically dismissed two controversial rumours that have been circulating on social media since Saturday, December 28, as fake news.
They also issued a warning to the public to refrain from sharing unverified information on social media.
The first, that of a white Mercedes-Benz being hijacked by a Mozambican national armed with an AK-47 on the road towards the Mananga Border Post, came to Lowvelder’s attention on a local WhatsApp security group around midday on Saturday.
Accompanied by a screenshot of the vehicle’s circulation details, the 18-seconds-long voicenote said: “Guys, I need assistance on this Mercedes-Benz. It’s being hijacked by one of the guys from Mozambique on Mananga Road. Please check tracking. It’s a Mercedes, white in colour. Please check tracking. Also, those guys on the N4. Please check this motor vehicle, the suspect is armed with an AK-47.”
The second far more sensational rumour centred around the theft of 23 bodies from an unnamed mortuary in Barberton. This report appeared on two social media ‘news’ platforms late on Sunday. One of the sites appears to be a faked site of Lowvelder’s sister publication, Mpumalanga News, and has been reported to the publication’s legal department.
According to the report, this ‘shocking incident’ unfolded on Christmas Day when the morgue staff were on leave. When they returned to work the following day (also a public holiday), they discovered the ‘thieves’ had not only taken the bodies, but also a pair of Nike Air Force 1 sneakers that had belonged to one of the deceased.
The elaborate hoax goes on to claim that CCTV footage showed the bodies being loaded into two Toyota Quantum minibuses and the sneakers being pinched from the personal belongings counter.
However, careful scrutiny of inconsistencies in the ‘press release’ reveals gaping holes in the story. Especially as the body count changes from 23 in the headline and first paragraph to 17 in the second paragraph.
The Mpumalanga police’s spokesperson, Brigadier Donald Mdhluli, confirmed this morning, December 31, that these incident reports were ‘entirely fabricated and untrue’. “There are no such incidents reported to the Mpumalanga SAPS,” he said.
The acting provincial police commissioner, Major General Dr Zeph Mkhwanazi, implored the public to exercise caution and verify information before sharing it on social media. “Spreading false information can lead to unnecessary panic and fear in the community. We urge the public to report any suspicious activity or crimes to the SAPS so that we can investigate and take appropriate action,” he said.
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