Residents of Newcastle were sent into a flurry of panic on Thursday morning, 21 November, as rumors made the rounds that the towns drinking water was not safe.
In a voice note that had been circulating on various social media platforms, it was alleged that the Ntshingwayo Dam had been poisoned and that Newcastle’s drinking water was not safe for consumption.
In the recording , which was communicated in Zulu, it was alleged that a group of Pakistani males made their way to the dam and were seen dumping poison into the water. It was unclear what type of poison had been used and how much.
Speculation was rife as many began wondering if this was in fact true or politically motivated.
The Newcastle Municipality quickly refuted the claims branding it as fake news.
In a statement, the Municipal Manager Zamani Mcineka slammed such claims.
“The municipality has become aware of disinformation and fictitious voice notes circulation on social media since yesterday evening 20 November which alleges that the Newcastle Municipality’s water is poisoned and not safe to drink. A thorough consultation with SAPS, Uthukela Water and Ntshingwayo Dam Personnel from the Department of Water and Sanitation has been conducted to verify the false rumors,” he said.
Mcineka further stated that he had instructed the user department to urgently send water samples to the accredited laboratory for testing and that the results would be in the public domain.
“As a municipality, we would like to place it on record without reservations that the rumors are not factual and are an act of mischief and propaganda. Residents are urged to ignore the circulation voice notes on social media which are aimed at causing a lot of undue panic amongst Newcastle residents,” he said.
As a Newcastle resident, do you still feel safe consuming the tap water? Share your thoughts with us.