South Africa gives official statement on offering Ndebeles free citizenship

THE South African Government has dismissed rumours circulating on social media that it is offering Zimbabweans of Ndebele origin South African citizenship.

The rumour mill and internet reports claimed that South Africa’s Home Affairs Minister Mr Malusi Gigaba had announced that his country would be granting citizenship to anyone of Ndebele origin with immediate effect starting from August 1 this year.

South Africa Department of Home Affairs spokesperson Mr Mayihlome Tshwete yesterday shot down the rumours.

“It’s not true, there is nothing like that. If ever there is something like that we would have made an official statement,” said Mr Tshwete in a telephone interview from South Africa.

South Africa gives official statement on offering Ndebeles free citizenship

The reports claimed that knives were out for the South African Department of Home Affairs and Immigration after it recently announced that it would be granting citizenship to anyone of Ndebele origin with immediate effect starting from the 1st of August.

Mischievous social media reports have of late been causing panic through misinforming members of the public.

Recently, the Minister of Finance, Cde Patrick Chinamasa, had to quash rumours about his son who was said to have been arrested while trying to smuggle $7 million through Beitbridge Border Post.

Also, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Dr Lazarus Dokora received a backlash from parents and teachers after a fake social media story quoted him as saying his ministry had introduced uniforms for teachers and headmasters.

Source-Chronicle