Fake finance minister tweets fool SA

Fake finance minister tweets fool SA
Simnikiwe Mzekandaba
By Simnikiwe Mzekandaba, IT in government editor
26 May 2014

A Twitter account bearing the name South Africa’s new finance minister has been called out as a fake by government.

Twitter account @NhlanhlaNeneZA, which pretends to be Nhlanhla Nene, has notched up over 3,000 followers after it started tweeting on Sunday.

The account came alive as SA president Jacob Zuma announced the country’s new ministers.

But South Africa’s department of national treasury says the Twitter handle is a fake.

“The Ministry of Finance would like to warn the public that the twitter account with a handle
@NhlanhlaNeneZA is counterfeit,” says the national treasury in a statement.

“Minister Nene does not have a twitter account,” adds the statement.

The fake Twitter account; though, has entertained its followers.

Referencing an incident where Nene fell off his chair during a live television interview, one tweet on the fake Twitter account reads:

“My brains did not fallout (sic) when I fell off that chair. I won't collapse the SA economy. Have faith in me, fellow South Africans.”

Meanwhile, another tweet reads, “Oh, boy. I haven't even formally assumed office and the Democratic Alliance is putting pressure on me already.”

See the video of the finance minister falling off a chair.



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