“Fake News”: Cape Town Anaconda Claims in Zeekoevlei Wetlands Get Debunked by City Authorities

• A Cape Town woman shared a viral post claiming over 500 green anacondas were actively breeding in Zeekoevlei Nature Reserve
• The City of Cape Town's Deputy Mayco Member for Spatial Planning and Environment confirmed the claims were completely false
• South Africans spotted the fake news quickly, with some pointing out the snake in the video was not an anaconda

The City of Cape Town has debunked claims of a massive anaconda infestation in Zeekoevlei Nature Reserve after a fake news post went viral on social media. Cape Town woman Susan Arnold shared a video on 4 February 2026 along with a dramatic caption claiming authorities had confirmed the presence of more than 500 green anacondas actively breeding in the wetland.

The post stated that in a shocking development that sent panic through the Southern Suburbs, authorities confirmed the presence of over 500 green anacondas in Zeekoevlei, the largest freshwater lake in the region. It claimed the non-native constrictors from South American swamps had a thriving population in the shallow waters of the nature reserve.

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The fake news article included quotes from supposed residents and experts. It claimed a resident named Sipho Mkhize captured cellphone footage of a five-metre specimen gliding through the water, saying it was like something out of a horror movie. The post also stated the City of Cape Town had declared a state of ecological emergency around the vlei, with access to the reserve restricted and evacuation of all boating, fishing, and birdwatching activities.

The fabricated post went further, claiming officials warned that young anacondas could soon disperse into connecting canals and nearby Rondevlei. It included a supposed hotline number for residents to report sightings and stated that containment could take months or years.

However, according to a report by IOL, the City of Cape Town's Deputy Mayco Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Eddie Andrews, quickly shut down the viral post. He called it fake news and told people to stop sharing it. Andrews said the reports going around on WhatsApp and other websites about anacondas at Zeekoevlei are completely made up.

He was very clear about what's actually happening: there are no anacondas anywhere near Zeekoevlei, the city hasn't declared any emergency, nobody's been evacuated, and there haven't been any real sightings. Andrews explained that someone created these fake articles and asked people to please stop spreading posts they haven't checked first. He reminded everyone to only trust official announcements from the City of Cape Town when it comes to safety alerts.

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Watch the Facebook clip below:

Mzansi spots fake anaconda news

Social media users shared their thoughts on the viral post, with many quickly identifying the snake on Facebook user @arnoldsusan1's post as fake news:

@pennykoopman said:

"Rather be safe than sorry, I'll stay away 🙈"

@mariacoetzeevandyk joked:

"Run, forest run."

@ruancoetzer corrected:

"That is an African rock python not a green anaconda."

@dewaldjacobs agreed:

"That is an African rock python..."

@paulbester stated:

"Fake news, please."

More about snakes in South Africa

• Briefly News recently reported on a professional snake catcher's boomslang bite that left South Africans stunned.
• A video posted on Facebook showed a boomslang in the Western Cape jumping from a wire fence.
• A well-known Western Cape snake handler removed a Cape cobra from a sink hokkie after searching the area.

Source: Briefly News