The Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) has warned members of the public to desist from circulating fake and unverified information regarding the Coronavirus using various ICT platforms.
The Authority has since urged everyone including bloggers, various whatsapp and facebook group administrators, editors and reporters of mainstream and social media platforms as well as all citizens to only get reliable, official and verified information from the relevant authorities before sharing it.
ZICTA Corporate Communications Manager, Ngabo Nankonde says this is to avoid circulation, broadcasting and publication of fake and alarming information.
In a statement made available to ZANIS in Lusaka today, Ms Nankonde stated that the circulation and publication of falseholds with intent to cause fear and alarm to the public, is an offence and is prosecutable under the Penal Code.
She indicated that the Authority will support law enforcement agencies such as Zambia Police Service to ensure that those who break the law by circulating falsehoods or misleading information on COVID 19 on any ICT platform are brought to book.
Ms Nankonde added that ZICTA is mandated by law to oversee safe and responsible use of ICTs.
She explained that the Minister of Health, Chitalu Chilufya and his Information and Broadcasting Services Counterpart, Dora Siliya have announced that government will be issuing timely statements and hold press briefings regularly to update the nation on any development with regards to COVID 19.
She pointed out that combating COVID 19 pandemic requires the involvement of every Zambian, hence the need for everyone to come on board and play an active role and use social media wisely.
And Ms Nankonde has further encouraged members of the public to consider using digital platforms for transactions to avoid close contact whenever they can.
She added that consumers must also remember to always sanitise their hands, mobile phone handsets as well as computer keyboards as an added pre-caution.
The Minister of Health was in Chilubi as a campagn manager at a time when the country needed him most to put measures in place!!
There are hundreds of coronavirus cases that are not recorded all over the country!!! People are being sent back home and turned away from hospitals , like Fairview in Lsk, when they go there with symptoms for coronavirus …Millions will die in Zambia because of incompetence. This is just the beginning the worst is still to come!!
There’s a viral video making rounds that some Chinese people aboard Ethiopian Airlines arrived very sick in Zambia, they could not even walk on their own…they were taken straight to the hospital from KK international airport. Goverment is not tell us the truth, just like they did with the gassing! Someone somewhere has been paid big money to keep the bad news from the masses . What they’re forgetting is that lies have short legs!
They think blindfolding people with useless prayers will stop coronavirus from spreading keep dreaming! You will soon see a disaster like you’ve never imagined in your small minds. Time will tell…
Chinese man aboard an Ethiopian aircraft arrived very sick in Zambia, he was carried from the aircraft and taken straight to the hospital from NDOLA airport. The sweating Minister knows the real figures of people who are infected but he has been paid to keep his mouth shut!
Just prepare for the worst, It is likely there are more coronavirus cases than reported!! There are probably unreported cases or undetected cases out there!
I still remain adamant that the best way to prevent fake news is by stringent laws
I am proposing 5 year minimum with hard labour and taxing of all major online social platforms. I have proposed this to the government. Kz
We easily fall prey to hype, allowing it to create a cadre of quacks aboard social media platforms. Locally grown research pools could be a solution to some of these blind runs
What is up with this thing of going after people instead of focusing on things that are meaning, imwe Lyonse kwikata abantu? Please be productive
Ba ZICTA, the root cause of misinformation is the lack of credible information!
Look at other countries. Presidents and Prime Ministers are hands-on giving daily updates to their people. What is happening in Zambia is very unacceptable where citizens are gassed and faced with the Corona virus and you have a president who is ever MUTE! So you can’t really blame people for falling prey to false information! Mr ECL must show leadership! Shameful!!