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  • 2020-06-09 (xsd:date)
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  • South Africa’s ANC ignores Covid-19 social distancing at party? No, photos two years old (en)
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  • Photos shared on Facebook show South African president Cyril Ramaphosa greeting and hugging a man. Several people can be seen in the background, including Ramaphosa’s wife, Tshepo Motsepe , and Ethiopian president Sahle-Work Zewde . The post reads : On the 6th June 2020 it was totally permissible for President Ramaphosa and over 50 ANC members not to wear a mask at a birthday party, NO social Distancing and they were hugging each other ... It really doesn’t make sense. Screenshots of the post have been shared elsewhere on Facebook, and both posts have been shared hundreds of times. People in South Africa are currently facing restrictions on their movement as the country tries to curb the spread of Covid-19 . Under level 3, which came into effect on 1 June , public gatherings are prohibited . The only exceptions are places of worship, with no more than 50 people, and funerals, which have specific restrictions. People must also wear face masks outside their homes. Did Ramaphosa and other members of the ruling African National Congress violate these rules? Photos from 2018 birthday party Using Google reverse image search , Africa Check traced the origin of the photos. Ramaphosa tweeted them on 6 June 2019 in a birthday message to Andrew Mlangeni . Mlangeni was an anti-apartheid activist and served 26 years in prison on Robben Island , alongside Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, Govan Mbeki and others. Warmest wishes to Isithwalandwe/Seaparankoe Tata Andrew Mlangeni on the occasion of his 94th birthday. Tata Mlangeni continues to play an active and immeasurable leadership role in ensuring that our movement adheres to the principles and values on which it was founded. pic.twitter.com/HUvvq5pM7h — Cyril Ramaphosa ?? #StaySafe (@CyrilRamaphosa) June 6, 2019 In the tweet, Ramaphosa wished Mlangeni a happy birthday and thanked him for his service to the country. Mlangeni was celebrating his 94th birthday in 2019. But the pictures are actually from Mlangeni’s 93rd birthday dinner , in 2018. On 6 June 2020, Ramaphosa used the same photos again in his birthday message to Mlangeni, now turning 95. There is no evidence to show a birthday party was held for Mlangeni in 2020. On the contrary, according to an article by News24 , he spent the day at home. Due to national lockdown regulations, the occasion was marked by a ‘dignified drive-through’ at his home in Dube, Soweto. Each car was given 30 seconds to wish Mlangeni a happy birthday and drop off a present outside the house, News 24 said . Ramaphosa paid tribute to Mlangeni in a televised speech . The photos of Ramaphosa, Mlangeni, and others are real, and are from a birthday party, but they have been used out of context. – Cayley Clifford (en)
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