By Parliamentary Affairs Reporter| Government officials who for 8 weeks to date have been publishing gross falsehoods on COVID-19 information, have said they will sentence anyone who propagates fake news on coronavirus during the upcoming national lockdown.
The legal instrument is Statutory Instrument 83 of 2020 and it comes as the government was deliberately twisting information on Coronavirus statistics. Their tampering of evidence has included the masking of identity details and as well, soft treatment of Chinese patients so to appease the Asian country’s government – as Health Minister Obadiah Minister Obadiah Moyo said, ‘because the Chinese have been nice to us.’
Statistics of many people who have died from clear symptoms clearly described by the World Health Organisation have been avoided. They included that of a Colcom worker who collapsed and died while at work during the week as even officially confirmed by the company itself.
The S.I 83 imposes a sentence equal to that of treason on anyone who spreads “fake news” It reads:
“For the avoidance of doubt any person who publishes or communicates false news about any public officer, official or enforcement officer involved with enforcing or implementing the national lockdown in his or her capacity as such, or about any private individual that has the effect of prejudicing the State’s enforcement of the national lockdown, shall be liable for prosecution under section 31 of the Criminal Law Code (“Publishing or communicating false statements prejudicial to the State”) and liable to the penalty there provided, that is to say a fine up tour exceeding level fourteen or imprisonment for a period not exceeding twenty years or both.”
FULL TEXT BELOW:
(5) A magistrate or justice of the peace may issue a warrant contemplated in subsection (4) if it appears to him or her on oath or affirmation by an enforcement officer that any person is reasonably suspected of hoarding medical supplies needed to combat COVID-19.
(6) Any person taking advantage of the national lockdown to profiteer, or raise prices of goods or services or rents, shall be subject to the penalties prescribed by law for contravention of the appropriate statutory provisions.
Local authorities to make land or premises available for isolation and quarantine 13. By written order addressed to any local authority the Minister may require such local authority to set aside and malce available during the period of national lockdown any land or premises adequate for the quarantine or isolations of more than fifty (50) persons at a time who are infected with or suspected of being infected with COVID-19, and to comply with the directions of any specified enforcement officer for the management of such land or premises.
False reporting during national lockdown
14. For the avoidance of doubt any person who publishes or communicates false news about any public officer, official or enforcement officer involved with enforcing or implementing the national lockdown in his or her capacity as such, or about any private individual that has the effect of prejudicing the State’s enforcement of the national lockdown, shall be liable for prosecution under section 31 of the Criminal Law Code (“Publishing or communicating false statements prejudicial to the State”) and liable to the penalty there provided, that is to say a fine up tour exceeding level fourteen or imprisonment for a period not exceeding twenty years or both.