Monkeys are seen swimming inside black water tankers. Picture: Screengrab of the video
The Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) said a video where monkeys are seen swimming inside black water tankers is not from Jubilee District Hospital nor any of its public health facilities.
The video which has been widely shared on social media platforms shows a troop of little monkeys frolicking in water tankers.
Gauteng health spokesperson Motalatale Modiba said Jubilee District Hospital and other facilities in Gauteng do not use black water tankers.
“GDoH health facilities use green JoJo tankers and the water supplied by local authorities and water utilities to our hospitals and clinics is clean and can be used for human consumption and other services.
“It is irresponsible for people to circulate on social media unverified content which spreads lies about water provision at facilities as this has a potential to cause panic among patients, their families and communities who depend on public health facilities for healthcare services,” said Modiba.
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Modiba added that the same video was shared earlier this year.
“Those who shared it insinuated that it was depicting the situation at Helen Joseph Hospital at the time when the facility was experiencing water supply shortages.
“The GDoH traced the source of the video when it was first shared in April 2022 by V6 News, a YouTube channel that captioned the video as follows: “Monkeys Bath In Water Tanks In Narsingapur,” he said.
Modiba has urged the public to verify information before sharing it on social media.
“Social media users and the general public are urged to condemn any material that seeks to mislead and cause unnecessary panic among the public, especially the most vulnerable who rely heavily on public health facilities. We encourage the public to report pages that continue to use and distribute such content.
“Anyone that creates or spreads fake news about the GDoH or any other facility can be charged with crimen injuria and is liable for prosecution. People can access reliable information from all GDoH social media platforms including through trusted sources such as established media outlets,” said Modiba.
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