Parliament has revealed its social media accounts have been hacked. In a statement, Parliament spokesperson Moloto Mothapo says: “This breach resulted in the unauthorised upload of content not aligned with the work of the institution.
“We have identified a security breach affecting one of Parliament’s 25 YouTube streaming services, which is integrated with its official social media accounts.”
Daily Maverick reports that the official social media accounts of the South African Parliament were hacked on Saturday to promote a crypto-currency token named after president Cyril Ramaphosa.
It adds that the unauthorised posts featured a graphic advertising the presale of the crypto-currency token “$Ramaphosa”, accompanied by hashtags referencing Solana, crypto-currency and South Africa.
According to Mothapo, Parliament’s digital team immediately intervened to terminate the compromised stream.
“While a full investigation is under way to determine the source of the breach, additional safeguards are being put in place to strengthen the integrity of our digital infrastructure.”
The spokesperson explains that Parliament’s multiple YouTube streaming services provide real-time, unfiltered access to committee meetings and House sittings, which ensures broad public engagement through integration with social media platforms.
“This expanded digital reach enhances public involvement and openness, as mandated by the Constitution, but also increases cyber security risks, which require continuous monitoring and reinforced security measures. We remain committed to maintaining secure and reliable use of these platforms for the benefit of the public.”
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