Verdict: False
Claims were rifle on social media that an angry mob of protesters had pulled down a fence at the Hluhluwe Game Reserve in the KwaZulu-Natal province letting the animals out. Some accounts alleged that some of the animals let loose were lions.
“Watch out for lions”, tweeted @TheDukeofOndini.
Protesters have pulled down the fence at the Hluhluwe Game Reserve to let the animals out. Watch out for lions, etc. pic.twitter.com/uOQGTrQ4cA
— The Duke (@TheDukeofOndini) July 11, 2021
“So far we have not experienced any damage to our property,” tweeted the Game Reserve.
Please note that the video currently circulating showing that Hluhluwe Park’s fence has been destroyed is an old video. It was taken on 12th May 2021 following the community protest by the community of Biliya community. So far we have not experienced any damage to our property.
— EZEMVELO KZNWildlife (@EZEMVELOKZNWild) July 12, 2021
South Africa is experiencing a wave of unrest sparked by the arrest of ex-President Jacob Zuma jailed to 15 months in prison for contempt of Court. So far, the the death toll in South Africa has risen to 72 as violence continues across the country. A total of 1,234 people have been arrested in relation to the riots.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged South Africans to “refrain from posting and circulating inflammatory messages on social media, and from spreading rumours or false reports that may create further panic”.
“Many businesses have been totally wiped out and destroyed [by] angry mobs who looted virtually every shop in the centre and the city’s malls” reported the BBC, saying “it will take a while to clear the trail of destruction” across KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, the two provinces significantly affected by the violence.
