The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has warned against the dissemination of fake news from parody social media accounts acting as legitimate news publications.
This after a fake news report attributed comments to the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP), Advocate Shamila Batohi, on her term of office.
“The account that has come to our attention with the fake content quoting the NDPP is ‘Forever Yena News’, but there could be more of a similar nature. One account, ‘Dear Cape Town’, seems to draw content from that fake news platform, and has further shared it as if it is fact.
“The general public is warned to be circumspect and verify information before accepting content as fact, reposting and sharing this content on other platforms, as it is fake and does not represent the NDPP’s or NPA’s views or comments,” the NPA said in a statement on Thursday.
It further warned of the impact that fake news has on the credibility of the prosecutorial body.
“Do not forward unverified information that may mislead and misinform other people, and report suspected accounts on the respective social media platforms.
“Such fake news undermines the collective fight of good people for justice and the rule of law in this country. The NDPP and her team still have a lot of work to do in the remainder of her term and remain focused on that,” the NPA concluded. – SAnews.gov.za
