SOUTH AFRICA - CAPETONIAN ARRESTED FOR SPREADING FAKE NEWS SAYING THERE WAS "NOTHING CALLED CORONA" IN SA

A man has been arrested for spreading false reports that there is no coronavirus outbreak in South Africa, Police Minister Bheki Cele told eNCA.


Cele said on Saturday that the man was in a holding cell on Saturday after posting that there was "nothing called corona here" in South Africa.

Cele warned against spreading false rumours. "We won't spare you, we'll take you," he told eNCA.

On Friday night, a 36-year-old man was arrested after recording himself poking fun at efforts to contain the novel coronavirus during a gathering of more than 100 people, reported News24.

Cele's office said the man was returning from a funeral with friends on 21 March when they gathered at Temba Square in Hammanskraal and started playing music and drinking alcohol in public, in what has become known as an "after tears" ceremony.

"Guys, you can see for yourselves, Hammanskraal has life. You can see, look," the man said in the short video.

On Friday, Cele announced that 55 people had been arrested nationally for defying the lockdown by, among others, participating in street bashes or sitting in a group and drinking alcohol in public.

via - NEWS24