Unfortunately, just because it’s a day for foolery, doesn’t mean true hard news stops being published, which often leads to confusion. A good rule of thumb is to wait until afternoon when the jokes should stop…
I truly hope this petrol hike is an April fools joke because FML, how the hell are we supposed to live?!
— Marisa Calvert (@justReesie) April 1, 2019
Starting a new job on #AprilFoolsDay - I’m a little nervous. @PwC
— Francois du Preez (@FrancoisduPreez) March 31, 2019
The lengthy prank, quoting analyst "Dr Christine Current," details the current power demand in the country and projected impact for business if two time zones are implemented to meet that, with the 'full government gazette' embedded at the end of the article - a three-pager that ends with the message 'April Fools'.
If not for that caveat, this may well have seemed like extreme but plausible future planning to get behind, and pulled the wool over many an eye.
See our round up of some of the best #AprilFool social media shares from last year and the year before for more.