Botswana Rejects Fake Arsenal Holiday Notice After Title Win
botswana’s government said a circulating notice giving Arsenal fans a public holiday was fake, after the club’s first Premier League title in 22 years set off celebrations online. The notice claimed fans could take Wednesday off and named President Duma Boko as the leader behind the reward.
The government posted the notice on X with the word “FAKE” stamped in red across it and wrote, “No, there is no holiday for Arsenal fans.” The fake statement had already spread among Arsenal supporters in Botswana who thought they might have another day to celebrate.
Republic of Botswana notice
The circulating document used the Republic of Botswana coat of arms and a stamp from the office of the president, giving it the appearance of an official government announcement. It was dated May 17, a Sunday, and said Boko had rewarded Arsenal fans for their “passion, loyalty and unwavering support.”
That detail made the notice feel official enough to move quickly through social media before the government rejected it. The government’s reply left no room for interpretation: there would be no holiday for Arsenal fans.
Arsenal title in Botswana
Arsenal’s title was only confirmed on Tuesday, when Manchester City drew 1-1 with Bournemouth. The fake notice followed that result and turned a football milestone into a small public test of how fast a forged statement can circulate when it carries state symbols.
One X user joked that the notice may have been issued by a Manchester United fan. The joke fit the mood around the post, but the government’s red-stamped response settled the immediate question for supporters in Botswana who had seen the holiday claim.
Duma Boko and the holiday claim
Duma Boko was the president named in the fake statement, which tried to link a football celebration to the office of the president. The claim did not survive the government’s public denial, and the only action left for Arsenal fans in Botswana was to treat the holiday notice as a hoax.
The next development is already visible in the exchange itself: the false notice is out, the government has dismissed it, and anyone sharing the claim now has the government’s posted denial to point to instead.
