Limpopo Police Dubunk Claims of Foreigners in the Province Harvesting Locals’ Body Parts

• South African Police Service (SAPS) management in Limpopo has refuted reports of ritual murders in the province
• Provincial Commissioner Lt-Gen Thembi Hadebe noted with concern social media reports of a body harvesting trend
• Hadebe cautioned the spread of fake news and unverified information, saying offenders would be criminally charged

POLOKWANE — Police have addressed rampant online suggestions that foreign nationals were killing South African citizens in Limpopo to harvest body parts.

Authorities said the claims painted the picture of the modus operandi the purported organised criminals employed.

Fake ritual murders news slammed

The posts alleged that unspecified foreigners robbed cars and randomly approached a house, pretending to be in distress and seeking help. They would allegedly kill the occupants and remove their body parts while still alive.

Provincial Commissioner Lt-Gen Thembi Hadebe slammed the fake news and expressed the police's shock and dismay.

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"One of our biggest threats at the moment is fake news. It is baseless and devoid of truth. We strongly condemn spreading fake news, unverified information, rumours or threats," said Hadebe.

"[It] seeks to cause panic and confusion and sometimes incite possible violence. We [therefore] urge the public to fact-check [information] first before sharing anything on social media."

Hadebe said the police would charge those who deliberately spread fake news or shared inflammatory messages.

"We, therefore, urge residents to promptly report incidents to ensure law enforcement appropriately deals with them," she added.

Source: Briefly News