American journalist dragged for claiming ‘1 million body bags delivered to SA’
Adam Housley is yet to retract or delete his statement.
Screenshot of video showing Adam Housley.
Emmy-winning former Fox News correspondent Adam Housley has been highly criticised by South Africans for “spreading fake news” after claims about the country’s coronavirus pandemic on social media.
South Africa has confirmed 1,380 positive cases of coronavirus with five deaths, compared to the United States’ more than 200,000 cases and over 5,100 deaths, but according to Housley’s “sources”, the former is expecting things to get much worse and we are supposedly already preparing for it.
“Tonight I have learned that 1 million body bags have been delivered to South Africa. It’s estimated that nearly 8.5 million people have Aids or TB in the country and they are very worried about what’s coming with coronavirus,” wrote Housley in a tweet.
https://twitter.com/adamhousley/status/1245188470848380929?s=20
He claimed to have received the information from “friends who are in positions of power in South Africa and they are worried”.
“That’s more than 20% of the population. 71,000 died of Aids-related illness in 2018. 124,000 died of TB in South Africa in 2016. You can see …. it wont take much to make those numbers explode. There is worry their government can’t come close to handling the situation.
“I have great contacts there who say they are likely going to be asking for 1-2 million more body bags,” he claimed.
Housley further quoted his friend as saying: “Adam we just don’t have the infrastructure like America to help people here. The socialised health system serves most people, but it’s corrupt, underfunded and understaffed.”
While his American audience believed every word he said, South Africans have been dragging him on social media, calling for him to retract the “fake news” and focus on his own country.
DA MP Phumzile Van Damme also called on Housley to delete his tweets.
“Delete this. Five people have died. There are far more in the US,” she said.
Housley is yet to retract or delete his statement.
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