Claim: Online users claimed that one of the world’s leading courier companies, DHL, plans to shut down its operations in Sierra Leone.
Verdict: False; DHL has said it has no plan to shut down operations in the country.
Full Text
Social media has been awash with exit claims of DHL, one of the biggest courier services in Sierra Leone.
One Facebook user Tunde Scott claimed that DHL is on the verge of leaving the country. The claim had as many as 102 comments at the time of writing this report. Another user known as Penpusher Sesay also made a similar claim.
The assertion has also been shared widely on WhatsApp. The circulation of this news story paints a gloomy picture of the business environment in the country.
DHL is one of the biggest courier services in the world. The company is also into logistics and has been operating in Sierra Leone for years.
The company has employed many young Sierra Leoneans, and the potential exit could negatively affect the employment rate.
Given how important this issue is, DUBAWA decided to investigate the rumour.
Verification
To verify the story, DUBAWA checked several credible and traditional media platforms to see if the alleged DHL exit story had been published. There was no such report.
The researcher then contacted the local DHL office in Freetown. The Head of Sales for DHL, Sierra Leone, Mustapha Sandi, said they were surprised by the rumours. He clarified that the assertion is false.
Sandi said: “There are no plans for us to close. We are here and operating right now; as I am speaking, we are open for business.”
He added: “We were shocked when we saw that on social media. Some people even called me about that. I know people are talking about Air France, but we don’t depend on commercial flights. We have our flight that comes here five times a week, so that won’t affect us.”
Conclusion
DHL is not shutting down operations in Sierra Leone, and there are no plans to do so.
