PROSECUTE FAKE STATE HOUSE “SPOKESMEN”
ZAMBIA Police and other law enforcement agencies have been asked to bring to book people issuing forged statements purportedly from State House, Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations, Amos Chanda has said.
Addressing the media yesterday, Mr Chanda said State House has lodged a complaint with the Zambia police to ensure people involved in the circulation of fake statements purported to be from State House are brought to book.
Mr Chanda said it was disappointing to note the level of abuse of social media by unscrupulous people peddling falsehoods.
Meanwhile Mr Chanda has indicated that State media will be confirming all statements issued by State House before they are aired.
He says all private media should wait for confirmation from the state media before airing any statement from State House.
This follows a flurry of fake statements purporting to be from State House that have been widely circulated on social media alleging in some cases that the President had fired some ministers or effected a reshuffle to his cabinet.
And , an activist has warned the Zambia Police and ZICTA should to up their game and track people creating and sending fake news meant to destabilize the country.
Young African Leaders Initiative governance advisor Isaac Mwanza yesterday warned government not to ingore the levels of misinformation and propaganda mounted against it by those aimed at denting the image of President Edgar Lungu and his administration.
Mr Mwanza said the negative propaganda if unanswered, would deliberately generate negative percep-tion among the people owing to the misinformation they were being exposed to.
He said Government must counteract the misconception being presented by those bent on destroying the face of those leading the country.
“We know that there is no Government world-over that does not engage in propaganda but for the first time, we are witnessing effective public propaganda against government programmes working to threaten public peace.”