‘Fake news’: Department rubbishes letter claiming landlords can’t collect rent from tenants
The letter, with the department's letterhead, made the rounds on social media.
Image: iStock
The health department has dismissed claims that Health Minister Zweli Mkhize had barred landlords from collecting rent money from their tenants for the next 90 days.
The letter, with the department’s letterhead, made the rounds on social media.
The fake letter.
It claimed that the health minister had gazetted the regulations to deal with the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The letter stated that anyone who did not adhere to the set regulations was guilty of an offence.
“A person is guilty of an offence if that person fails to comply with these Regulations. A person convicted of an offence mentioned in sub-regulation (1) is liable on conviction to a fine or to imprisonment not exceeding six months or to both such a fine or imprisonment (sic),” the letter read.
However, health department spokesperson Lwazi Manzi said the department had not released such a letter.
“The information in the letter is fake news,” Manzi said.
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