Jail for spreading fake coronavirus news in South Africa

Peddling fake news on the deadly coronavirus in South Africa will attract up to six months in jail under emergency laws aimed at curbing growing infections.

With infections spiking to 150 in just two weeks and expected to increase to more than 200 in the next 24 hours, South Africa is scrambling to halt the rapid spread of the virus.

It has imposed measures, including shutting schools, suspending major cultural and sporting events and banned travellers from countries most affected by the virus.

After President Cyril Ramaphosa declared the pandemic a national disaster at the weekend, a raft of emergency laws have been promulgated.

One of them outlaws the spreading of fake news.

“Any person who publishes any statement, through any medium, including social media, with the intention to deceive any other person about …COVID-19…, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine or imprisonment for a period not exceeding six months, or both,” read a government gazette dated Wednesday but seen by AFP on Thursday.

Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said on Thursday that the virus was fast spreading and could breach the 200 mark by Friday.

“Coronavirus arrived in South Africa 14 days ago, we panicked with one patient and… we got even more surprised to see the rapid spread,” he told a meeting of doctors.

“As up to last night, …we had 150 and we are quite certain that by tomorrow we would have gone much higher, probably just beyond 200.”

In just two weeks since the virus arrived on its shores, the country now has the highest number of infections in sub-Saharan Africa.