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Social media posts claiming anti-migrant protests created 15,000 jobs for locals at supermarket chain Spar are false, says Africa Check as it warns misinformation is fuelling tensions.
In a live report updated on Wednesday, the fact-checking organisation said a wave of migration-related disinformation circulated before, during and after the protests centred on June 30, inflamed fear, deepened social divisions and, in some cases, put lives at risk.
Africa Check traced the Spar claim to anti-migrant activist Nkosinathi Ndabandaba, who alleged during a media briefing on July 1 that thousands of jobs had become available after undocumented migrants left the country, including 15,000 positions at Spar.
Africa Check found no evidence to support the claim. Spar said it advertises vacancies only through its official recruitment channels and individual shops, while confirming to News24 that any hiring is unrelated to the nationality of applicants.
At the time the claim was investigated, fewer than 15 vacancies were listed on Spar’s online recruitment portal.
The fact-checking organisation also debunked several other viral claims linked to the protests.
These included old videos falsely presented as recent attacks involving migrants, footage from the July 2021 unrest in KwaZulu-Natal shared as if it showed looting during the recent anti-migrant protests, and fake notices purporting to have been issued by the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the department of home affairs.
Another manipulated video falsely claimed a business owner planned to move her factory to Mozambique because she would no longer employ South Africans as they are rude. Africa Check found the interview had been altered using artificial intelligence, with the original footage taken from an interview conducted by DW Africa.
The organisation urged the public to verify information before sharing it, warning false claims about migration can heighten tensions, encourage hostility and contribute to violence.
TimesLIVE
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