SABC apologises for falsely attributing Ebola outbreak to Ghana

South African public broadcaster SABC News, Thembekile Mrototo, has apologised after erroneously attributing false Ebola statistics to Ghana during a television broadcast, following a denial by Ghana’s Ministry of Health that the country has recorded any cases of the disease.

In an on-air correction broadcast, SABC News acknowledged that it had incorrectly displayed a news ticker stating that Ghana had recorded Ebola cases and deaths.

“This happened during a broadcast last night,” Thembekile Mrototo said. “SABC News regrets the error and apologises for any distress or inconvenience caused.”

The broadcaster clarified that, according to Ghana’s Ministry of Health, the country has not recorded any case of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).

The correction follows a statement issued earlier by Ghana’s Ministry of Health rejecting social media reports and a publication attributed to SABC claiming that “Ghana’s Ebola cases have risen to 2,300 with 930 deaths.”

The ministry described the figures as false and misleading and urged the public to disregard them.

SABC also repeated the ministry’s explanation that recent visits by Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh to points of entry, laboratories and treatment facilities formed part of Ghana’s routine preparedness efforts to strengthen the country’s capacity to prevent and respond to potential public health emergencies.

“The proactive measures do not indicate an Ebola outbreak… in Ghana,” the Thembekile Mrototo said during the correction.

The ministry has urged the public to rely only on official information from the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service and to avoid sharing unverified reports that could cause unnecessary fear and panic.

The apology comes amid heightened regional vigilance after recent Ebola-related developments elsewhere in Africa, prompting countries to review preparedness measures despite no confirmed cases in Ghana.