A PERSON claiming on Facebook to be a woman said she has the dreaded virus and wants to spread it.
“I don’t want to die alone,” said the Facebook user.
Mzansi didn’t think there was anything funny about the post at all. The message was posted on a Facebook group called Vaal Notice Board.
Many people called her all sorts of unprintable names and urged the police to trace and arrest her.
Gauteng health spokesman Philani Mhlungu told Daily Sun he hadn’t heard about the post.
“Whether true or a hoax, it’s not acceptable at all,” he said.
“If true, police need to arrest that person.”
Community member Ntombizodwa Mlilo pleaded with police to help Vaal residents.
“She’s threatening our lives with the virus. Help us. We’re living in fear,” she said.
Resident Cleo Nkobi told the SunTeam it was either true or the woman was just an attention-seeker.
“Whatever the case, this is wrong. We won’t know if it’s true until the police find her.
“We need to stay indoors and avoid any form of contact with anyone.
“When she’s been found, tested and confirmed negative we can all breathe a sigh of relief!”
Residents said people needed to stand together.
“People spreading fake news need to be locked up. We don’t want them in our communities,” said Sabelo Mbatha from Sebokeng kasi in the Vaal.
Attempts by Daily Sun to reach the person on Facebook Messenger were fruitless.
But one person has been arrested and it isn’t a woman. It appears it’s a 40-year-old man who was using his sister’s phone.
National police spokesman Brigadier Vish Naidoo told Daily Sun police arrested the 40-year-old man after he was found to have been the one who posted the message.
Naidoo said a charge of defamation of character, under Covid-19 regulations, was opened. He said that the suspect was expected to appear in court soon.
