Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa threatened 20 years in jail to the author of a statement purporting to bear his signature that said the lockdown to contain the coronavirus outbreak had been extended.
Mnangagwa, who was speaking at his farm after touring Gweru city in central Zimbabwe, told state broadcaster ZBC he had not extended the 21-day lockdown. The statement that claimed the restrictions were extended was circulated on social media last week and was immediately denied by the government.
The southern African nation last month published lockdown regulations, which included jail terms of up to 20 years for people who spread falsehoods regarding the outbreak. Rights groups say there have been a growing number of cases of abuse after the army was deployed to help police enforce the lockdown. Security forces in Zimbabwe have a history of brutality when enforcing the law.
The authorities have said three people have died from the new coronavirus and 17 people have been infected in the country of 15 million people. Just over 600 people had been tested by Monday night.
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