RESURFACED VOICE NOTE: HARMFUL MISINFORMATION

Cristine Struweg

@c_r_i_s_1_0

An old voice note has resurfaced, once again causing uproar within the student community and amongst parents. 

The voice note, originally from 2023, resurfaced from an alleged student called Mira, who urged others to pray for the North-West University (NWU) after claiming that students were no longer allowed to hold worship nights or pray in their rooms. This voice note caused chaos back in 2023, and a few eyebrows were once again raised when it made its reappearance in the last few weeks. 

The NWU was quick to address their stakeholders, dismissing the claims as “ridiculous, but also laughable and deeply disturbing.” A statement from the Corporate Relations and Marketing Department stated that “no infringement of the Constitutional Rights of any individual will ever be allowed at the NWU.” 

Disinformation like this can be harmful to any organisation, especially when it touches on cultural belief systems. We live in a very ‘go with the flow’ society which can cause a massive wildfire of misinformation. Be aware of the information you receive and whether it comes from a reliable source. Not only did the voice note resurface, but so did the news article from Netwerk24 which was clearly dated 2023, but was still sent around on various groups. 

Here are a few tips on how to look out for disinformation: 

• Firstly, the most important thing is to check whether your source of information is credible or not. A ride along group on WhatsApp should never be your main source of information.
• Check official sites first, to see if anything of this sort was reported. If major changes like that were made by the NWU, there would have been an official announcement. 
• Check the timelines. In this case, the fire could have been blown out immediately if people looked at the Netwerk24 article before they forwarded it to the next person. 
• Think before you share. If you have any doubt about the validity of the information, rather not share it with others before you truly know whether it is real or fake.

The Netwerk24 article published on 17 February 2023 about the voice note (Source: Cristine Struweg)

Edited by Isabel Burgers