Popular Eastern Cape doctor to sue author of viral post that claimed he had died of Covid-19

Popular Eastern Cape doctor, Dr Sizwe Mxenge, has urged social media users to refrain from sharing fake news, adding that he will be opening a case against the original author of a viral post which claimed he had died from the coronavirus last week.

Mxenge, who is currently recovering after he tested positive for Covid-19 earlier this month, told DispatchLive that he was alerted to the “disappointing” post while still recovering from an East London private hospital bed.

“My brother sent it to me. I saw on Facebook someone saying I was dead. It was disappointing, because it is malicious and from people who are short sighted.

“I will open a criminal case against the person. Maybe she did not know or was trying to get famous using my name.”

Fake news has become a global concern during the Covid-19 pandemic. SA has gazetted a new law under the Disaster Management Act, where citizens could receive a fine or a six-month prison term for spreading fake news about the coronavirus. Regulation 11(5)(c) of the act classifies fake news as “publishing any statement through any medium, including social media, with the intention to deceive any other person about measures by the government to address Covid-19".