Johannesburg: The African National Congress has dispelled reports claiming that former South African President Nelson Mandela had passed away.
Rumours of Mandela’s 'death' started circulating on social network site Twitter on Saturday, and were being punted as the “hottest news update now”.
ANC spokesperson Jackson Mthembu labeled the as “malicious and insensitive” to the Mandela family.
“The ANC strongly condemns individuals or groupings behind such a hoax, which is meant to create an atmosphere of panic and anxiety in the country,” News24 quoted ANC spokesperson Jackson Mthembu, as saying in a statement.
“It also goes against the African culture and tradition to claim that a living person is dead,” he added.
Mthembu also called on Twitter to investigate and find a way of stamping out the public misuse of the network.
Meanwhile, Nelson Mandela Foundation spokesperson Sello Hatang said that the 92-year-old Mandela was on holiday with his wife, Graca Machel.
Hatang asked that the couple’s privacy be respected.