Cape Town - While April 1 is April Fool's Day, many on social media were not feeling in a jokey mood amid the Covid-19 outbreak.
The day is an annual custom consisting of practical jokes and hoaxes, but some were not in the mood for any hoaxes - which often involve a mistruth - as there is already an ongoing battle against misinformation and false statements during the Covid-19 outbreak.
South African Twitter users shared their thoughts on the matter and said it felt 'inappropriate' to be making jokes about Covid-19.
Whatever you do, don't make Covid-19 April fools jokes 🙏
— Duane Du Plessis🇿🇦 (@DuaneMario) April 1, 2020
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/AprilFools?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AprilFoolsjokes and playing pranks. It's insensitive, inappropriate and still illegal to make a joke about #COVID19 which leads to the distribution of fake news and misleading information.
#AprilFoolsDay #Covid19SA #StayAtHome #COVID19SouthAfrica pic.twitter.com/wOMIwy757C
— Wardāh Wilkinson (@WardahWilkinson)
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/StayAtHome?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StayAtHomeand stay safe, this is going to save lives!!!!
— Zayeen Daniels (@ZayeenJD)
Can we still report April fools jokes as fake news to the police? 👀 📝 https://t.co/owsCPSUVdB
— Angel Campey 🧼 (@YesReallyAngel) April 1, 2020
So Covid 19 is really not part of April fools ? Childish.
— Carlos Boyle (@chadlangenhov) April 1, 2020
April fools walking in and seeing COVID-19 has got everyone all serious. pic.twitter.com/c9qNocXYPB
— Kurt Langeveld (@KurtLComic) April 1, 2020
Lockdown extension as an April fools joke, banning of items such a snacks as April fools joke... Julle is kak boring. Actually no, you are an insensitive doos. Now fokkof.
— Cape Flats Princess (@JustVee1710) April 1, 2020
I think we should all just agree to forgo April fools this year...
— Jonathan Bossenger (@jon_bossenger) March 31, 2020
Before the lockdown,
President Cyril Ramaphosa gazetted new regulations, including the criminalisation of dissemination of fake news about Covid-19.
The regulations state that:
any person who publishes any statement, through any medium, including social media, with the intention to deceive any other person about:
Covid-19;
Covid-19 infection status of any person; or
Any measure taken by the government to address Covid-19, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine or imprisonment for a period not exceeding six months, or both such fine and imprisonment.
What this means for ordinary South Africans is that simply sending on a fake report or sharing a fake news Facebook or Twitter post puts you in danger of being prosecuted.
Video: Nkosazana Sithole/Volt Africa