Are you sharing fake news? Gauteng police warn against misinformation on social media

Police management in Johannesburg has urged the general public to refrain from sharing fake news of corrupt police officials on social media. 

The provincial police spokesperson, Brigadier Brenda Muridili, said the pictures used to spread the fake news are a series of recycled photographs. 

“The Johannesburg District Management is disturbed by a series of recycled photographs being misused to falsely portray Hillbrow and Johannesburg police station members as corrupt. These outdated images are being taken out of context to tarnish the reputation of police officers,” Muridili said. 

A photo has been circulating on social media showing a police officer with a firearm in his hand, with six men lying on the ground. 

The caption reads: “Meet one of the most corrupt police officers popularly known as Jovice, who moves with a convoy arrest migrants around Hillbrow, Braamfontein, then demands bribes for release, bribes from 1,500 to 5,000 rands, depending on the case you were arrested for. For public drinking, your bribe is R300,for being illegally in South Africa it’s R1,500 depending on where you are from, for possession of drugs from R3,000 to R5,000 [sic].”

Police rubbished the claims of the social media post. 

“A recent photo has been circulating with a caption falsely claiming police were targeting immigrants for bribes. In reality, the photo was taken during a joint operation with various law enforcement agencies while SAPS was enforcing Covid-19 regulations during the pandemic, as it was outlined in the Disaster Management Act,” Muridili said. 

Gauteng police management is urging social media users to use social media responsibly. 

“Social media users are also urged to refrain from sharing recycled material to spread misinformation with the intention of misleading the public,” Muridili said. 

The public is encouraged to report any allegations of corruption or extortion involving SAPS members. 

* Anti-corruption Hotline at 0800 701 701

* SAPS National Complaints Service Centre at 0800 333 177

* Gauteng Service Complaints Standby at 082 442 2000

[email protected]

IOL