Makandiwa, Bill Gates, vaccines and microchips

News
Viral social media posts claim that Microsoft founder Bill Gates, through his Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, plans to test new coronavirus vaccines on Africans. And in a sermon on Sunday, April 5, Zimbabwean preacher Emmanuel Makandiwa also claimed that there is a plan to inject electronic implants into people under the guise of Covid-19 vaccinations.

facts&fiction:by ZIMFACT

Viral social media posts claim that Microsoft founder Bill Gates, through his Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, plans to test new coronavirus vaccines on Africans. And in a sermon on Sunday, April 5, Zimbabwean preacher Emmanuel Makandiwa also claimed that there is a plan to inject electronic implants into people under the guise of Covid-19 vaccinations.

Is this true? No.

In a Facebook Live sermon on Sunday, on April 5, Makandiwa of the United Family International Church claimed there were plans to insert a microchip into people.

Makandiwa said: “What makes this very strange, is the idea that now they want to put a chip alongside the vaccine. Having a chip in your hand that has access to every information. They will know who has refused the vaccine. Now you have a gadget in your body. What is that? Simply because of flu?”

Claims by Makandiwa that there are plans to insert microchips into people as part of coronavirus tests are, therefore, FALSE. The claim is based on fake news peddled by conspiracy websites.

Biohackinfo, a conspiracy theory website, reported on March 19 that “Bill Gates will use microchip implants to fight coronavirus”.

The article claimed: “Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates will launch human-implantable capsules that have ‘digital certificates’, which can show who has been tested for the coronavirus and who has been vaccinated against it.”

On March 27, the website TruNews published a story headlined: “Mark of the beast: Gates wants coronavirus patients implanted with quantum-dot tattoos”. The report made similar claims that Gates planned to implant microchips in people.

Asked about the microchip claim, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation told Reuters: “The reference to ‘digital certificates’ relates to efforts to create an open source digital platform with the goal of expanding access to safe, home-based testing.” No implants are involved.

Verdict

Claims that Africa will be used to stage Covid-19 vaccine trials have been debunked by the World Health Organisation. There is also no evidence that Gates has said he intends to target Africa for trials. Claims that vaccines will involve the insertion of microchips into people, as claimed by Makandiwa, are false.