Online Reporter
Sikhumbuzo Moyo
BULAWAYO residents are being terrorised, not by machete gangs, but by fake social media alarmists!
That’s the word from provincial police spokesperson Inspector Nomalanga Msebele, who slammed the recent wave of viral WhatsApp voice notes and Facebook posts claiming machete-wielding thugs were on the loose across the city.
“These reckless and false messages are causing unnecessary fear and panic,” fumed Insp Msebele, speaking in front of Luveve Police Station’s holding cells, where two real suspects, not from the viral audios, are being held.
One widely shared audio claimed there were running battles between machete gangs and armed police in Cowdray Park, but Insp Msebele revealed it was actually just a domestic violence case, no machetes, no gang war.
“As police, we are really concerned about these alarmist social media messages. People are creating chaos based on imagination,” she said.
Police have already made major progress in cleaning up the city, arresting three real machete gangs responsible for over 20 criminal cases. But the fake posts keep spreading like wildfire, creating fear and wasting police time.
Some of the outrageous claims included:
• A gang was allegedly spotted near Basic Supermarket in Lobengula.
• Another “sighting” at the Parklands pits.
• A student from NUST was allegedly attacked on her way to class.
“The Lobengula post came from a man named Banda who saw a group crossing the road and assumed they were criminals, turns out, they were just workers going home,” said Insp Msebele.
Investigations into the Parklands and NUST incidents confirmed that nothing had happened.
Insp Msebele warned the public to think twice before hitting ‘send’:
“Report suspicious people to the police. Don’t give criminals a heads-up by posting online.”
