Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa on Tuesday distanced himself from a Facebook profile purporting to be him.<\/p>\n
“I do not own a Facebook account and have not given permission to anyone to use my identity on social media,” he said in a statement.<\/p>\n
“Thus I strongly condemn the use of my stolen identity and will take appropriate steps, including legal action to have this matter investigated [and] resolved.”<\/p>\n
The account had a picture of Mthethwa and his wife Philisiwe taken at their wedding last year. The account had more than 2000 friends.<\/p>\n
Mthethwa said he had reported the account to Facebook.<\/p>\n
There have been several fake social networking accounts claiming to be Cabinet ministers.<\/p>\n
Last month, Public Works Minister Thulas Nxesi and Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene complained about fake accounts.<\/p>\n
Nxesi said police were investigating the creation of the account. His office was worried “that the public may be taken for a ride by unscrupulous characters posing as the minister”.<\/p>\n
The finance ministry complained about several fake accounts. At the time it said there were also bogus letters and e-mails being sent out, purporting to be from the ministry and associated institutions.<\/p>\n
In February, Transport Minister Dipuo Peters dissociated herself from a bogus Facebook page.<\/p>\n
Her spokesman Jomo Khasu said the page was created by Nicholas Triphati in the United Kingdom or the United States.<\/p>\n
Triphati claimed to be creating jobs through the Southern African Development Community and the Economic Community of West African States on the page.<\/p>\n
The pictures on the social network page were not obtained legitimately, said Khasu.<\/p>\n
Last year, bogus Facebook pages emerged for Higher Education and Training Minister Blade Nzimande, Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant, and former Women’s Minister Lulu Xingwana.<\/p>\n
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