Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Tuesday threatened 20 years in jail to the author of a statement purporting to bear his signature that said the lockdown to contain the coronavirus outbreak had been extended, Reuters reports.

Mnangagwa, who was speaking at his farm after touring Gweru city in central Zimbabwe, told state broadcaster ZBC he had not extended the 21-day lockdown. The statement that claimed the restrictions were extended was circulated on social media last week and was immediately denied by the government.

“If we catch this person it must be exemplary and they must go in for at least a level 14, which is 20 years imprisonment .... I think we need to demonstrate that we don't want false news to be circulated,” Mnangagwa said.

The southern African nation last month published lockdown regulations, which included jail terms of up to 20 years for people who spread falsehoods regarding the outbreak.