No, lions haven't been let loose in South Africa

Some social media users have been sharing misleading videos and pictures depicting the violence in South Africa in recent days, clearly not connected to the current unrest.

One such video which has been widely shared falsely claims protesters had pulled down a fence at the Hluhluwe Game Reserve in the KwaZulu-Natal province letting the animals out.

It warns people to "watch out for lions".

Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, the government agency that manages the game reserve, says the video was taken in mid-May during an unrelated protest.

"So far we have not experienced any damage to our property," they say.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged South Africans to "refrain from posting and circulating inflammatory messages on social media, and from spreading rumours or false reports that may create further panic".

This article originally appeared on BBC Africa

Photo: Twitter

Blessing Mwangi