Govt threatens crackdown on fake economy news

By Blessings Mashaya

Government will launch a crackdown on social media as part of a campaign against fake news and the spreading of rumours on shortages of basic goods and foreign exchange meant to cause alarm in the country, Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa said yesterday.

“We will take necessary measures to counter those nefarious activities. We are going to see what counter measures we are going to implement to deal with social media. We can’t have a nation run on falsehoods coming from social media. The artificial crisis were caused by our detractors who have a regime change agenda,” Chinamasa told a news conference last night.

This comes as shortages of basic goods and fuel have resurfaced, sparking panic buying by consumers. Prices of imported products have also skyrocketed, which businesses blame on shortages of foreign exchange.

“The trigger to the artificial shortage was most unexpected, it came to us as a surprise. It was like a bombshell because of the positive indicators to our economy.

“The economy is growing. We are projecting a 3,7 growth. Most of the sectors in our economy are growing, mining agriculture etc,” Chinamasa said.

Information minister Chris Mushohwe threatened the country’s three mobile phone operators for hosting fake news on the economy on their platforms.

“Service providers whose platforms are being used must not be caught on the wrong side of the law because they are not faceless. Government is coming with the Cyber Crime Bill which is going to address this social media menace,” he said.

The ministers also said government was enacting laws to deal with money changers and shopkeepers using the three-tier pricing system.

Energy minister Samuel Undenge told an earlier press conference that Zimbabwe has two months’ worth of diesel  and one month worth of petrol stocks in bonded warehouses. Daily News