The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has apologised to Ghana after falsely reporting that the country had recorded cases of the Ebola virus disease.
About 48 hours ago, the South African public broadcaster erroneously aired a news ticker claiming that Ghana had recorded 2,300 Ebola cases and 930 deaths. The report quickly gained traction on social media, raising concerns over its potential impact on Ghana’s international image.
However, the SABC has since withdrawn the report and issued a public apology.
A video of the retraction, sighted by The Chronicle, shows a news anchor acknowledging the error.
“SABC incorrectly attributed Ebola statistics to Ghana in a news scroll that appeared at the bottom of our screen last night. SABC regrets and apologises for any distress and inconvenience caused.”
The broadcaster further clarified that, according to Ghana’s Ministry of Health, Ghana has not recorded any case of the Ebola virus disease.
The correction also stated that the Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, recently inspected the country’s ports of entry and laboratory facilities as part of routine public health preparedness measures aimed at strengthening Ghana’s capacity to detect and respond to any potential health emergency.
The broadcaster emphasised that these precautionary measures do not indicate the existence of an Ebola outbreak in Ghana.
The apology comes at a time when misinformation relating to infectious diseases can have serious implications for a country’s public image, tourism, trade and investment, underscoring the need for accuracy and responsible journalism.
The incident also comes against the backdrop of diplomatic tensions that have existed between Ghana and South Africa for about three months. Relations between the two countries became strained following renewed xenophobic attacks against foreign nationals, including Ghanaians, in South Africa.
The tensions deepened after a Ghanaian businessman was allegedly murdered in South Africa, an incident that sparked widespread condemnation in Ghana. The Ghanaian government subsequently evacuated a number of its citizens from the country over growing security concerns.
In response to the treatment of its nationals, Ghana later lodged a complaint with the African Union (AU) seeking compensation and other appropriate remedies over the xenophobic attacks against its citizens.
Against this backdrop, the SABC’s false Ebola report had the potential to further strain relations between the two countries. Although the broadcaster has since retracted the report and apologised, the episode serves as a reminder of the importance of verifying information before publication, particularly on matters with diplomatic and public health implications.
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