Claim
On 14th March 2022, Spring24 TV Facebook page published a statement on donations towards the State Funeral of the late former President, Mr. Rupiah Bwezani Banda following social media reports making rounds that public service workers were asked by government to make donations towards the State funeral. This came after the death of late President Rupiah Bwezani Banda, who passed away in Lusaka on March 11, 2022, at age 85.
Rating Justification
The fact checking process has determined as false, the claims making rounds on social media that Government asked Public Service workers to make donations towards that State Funeral of late President Rupiah Bwezani Banda, who passed away in Lusaka on March 11, 2022, at age 85. In a statement obtained by iVerify from Ministry of Information and Media, acting Secretary to the Cabinet, Mr. Patrick K. Kangwa dismissed as false the information circulating on social media platforms that Public Service Workers have been asked to make donations towards the State Funeral of the late President Rupiah Bwezani Banda.
Mr. Kangwa further clarified that Government has well established channels of communication through which it calls for free will gestures and donations from non-governmental stakeholders, the private stakeholders, and the general public during such National solemn occasions. In a treasury statement consulted by iVerify, Ministry of Finance and National Planning informed well-wishers and the general public, not limited to Public Service workers, that the Government has opened a Transit Funeral Accounts with commercial banks to facilitate contributions towards the State funeral. Therefore, the claims making rounds on social media that Government asked Public Service Workers to make donations towards the State Funeral of late President Rupiah Bwezani Banda, is false.
