A recent article published by Bushbuckridge Media alleged that a 17-year-old girl named Priska Botha had gone missing in Graskop, while waiting for her school transport. However, after a thorough verification, it has been confirmed that no such case has been reported to the Graskop SAPS.
The article, which has been widely circulated on social media, claimed that Botha disappeared at 06:00 while waiting at a stop sign for her school transport. It further stated that her parents, “Harvok and Dellien”, had offered a R40k reward for information regarding her whereabouts. However, no official missing person’s report exists for Priska, and the details provided in the article appear to be entirely fabricated.
Additionally, the profile picture used in the article was traced back to an Instagram account belonging to a user named Anna Gabriella, further indicating that the story was falsely constructed.
The article also quoted Sergeant D.S. Mbatha, allegedly of the Graskop Police Station, stating that the case had been prioritised and that officers were working tirelessly to locate the missing girl. This newspaper has confirmed that no such officer exists within the Graskop SAPS.
Mpumalanga News tried to contact Bushbuckridge Media, but none of the contact details provided on the Facebook page are working.
To avoid falling victim to misinformation, consider the following steps to identify fake news:
• Check official sources: Verify reports with the SAPS or other credible law enforcement agencies.
• Look for inconsistencies: Fake news often contains exaggerated details or unverifiable claims.
• Reverse image search: If a story includes a photo, use tools like Google Reverse Image Search to check its origin.
• Cross-check with multiple news outlets: If a major event is real, reputable news sources will report on it.
