Pretoria: The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has issued a warning concerning the spread of fake news originating from parody social media accounts that present themselves as legitimate news outlets.

According to South African Government News Agency, the warning follows a fabricated news report that falsely attributed comments to the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP), Advocate Shamila Batohi, regarding her term of office. The NPA identified the fake news source as ‘Forever Yena News’, and noted that another account, ‘Dear Cape Town’, has been disseminating content from this false platform, presenting it as factual.

The NPA has urged the public to exercise caution and verify information before accepting it as true, and to avoid reposting and sharing unverified content across other platforms. The statement emphasized that such content does not reflect the views or comments of the NDPP or the NPA.

Additionally, the NPA warned about the detrimental effects that fake news can have on the credibility of the prosecutorial body. The public is encouraged to report suspected fake accounts on social media platforms to help maintain the integrity of information.

The NPA highlighted that spreading unverified information can mislead and misinform the public, ultimately undermining efforts to uphold justice and the rule of law. The agency reaffirmed that the NDPP and her team remain committed to their objectives for the remainder of her term.