The Thabo Mbeki Foundation has swiftly stepped in to debunk a whirlwind of online rumours claiming that former South African President Thabo Mbeki had died.
Thabo Mbeki death is fake news, foundation confirms
Contrary to these reports, which have been circulating widely on social media and various news platforms, the Foundation has confirmed that Thabo Mbeki is very much alive and in good health.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Foundation tackled the fake news head-on, emphasising the importance of responsible engagement with online information in this age of rampant misinformation.
“We urge the public to rely on official channels for accurate information about President Mbeki’s well-being and activities,” the statement read.
This latest wave of rumours saw Mbeki’s name trending across the country after a report surfaced on a site known as The Nigerian Voice, along with other satirical sites, falsely claiming the former president had succumbed to a short illness.
Further adding to the chaos, an unknown individual edited Thabo Mbeki’s Wikipedia page, erroneously updating it to state that he had died on Tuesday, 2 January 2024.
This act of digital vandalism only fuelled the fire of the baseless rumours swirling around the former president’s health and well-being.
Mbeki’s streak of bad luck with hoaxes
This isn’t the first time that Mbeki has been the target of such hoaxes.
Back in June 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, a WhatsApp message falsely claimed that Mbeki had died of the virus. The message, purportedly from a News24 journalist, was quickly debunked as another unfounded claim about his health.
Throughout his post-presidential years, Thabo Mbeki has maintained a relatively low profile, focusing on his work with his foundation and other public engagements.
His Foundation has been a reliable source of information about his activities and health status, consistently dispelling rumours and providing clarity in the face of misinformation.