After South Africa’s new government was revealed in late June, online users shared viral screenshots from Wikipedia purportedly proving that Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber was born in Zimbabwe. However, AFP Fact Check found that its Wikipedia entry was changed several times within a few hours of the cabinet’s announcement, before reverting to the original version created in 2020, which names Namaqualand in South Africa as Schreiber’s birthplace.
“BREAKING NEWS: Republic of South Africa demands answers as DA Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber, who is accused of being a foreigner from Zimbabwe, is given a key position in the country (sic)”, reads one X post published on June 30, 2024.
The AFP fact check unmasked claims on this account in the past.
His latest post includes four Wikipedia screenshots of Schreiber’s page: two highlight his new government role and two mark his birthplace as Zimbabwe.
The post adds: “On Wikipedia, Leon’s birthplace was changed 5 hours ago from Zimbabwe to South Africa, this is happening while South Africa is watching.”
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