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Africa Check

 South Africa’s Victims of Crime Survey adds useful insights

South Africa’s Victims of Crime Survey adds useful insights

4th January 2021 Police crime statistics provide only limited insight into the nature of crime and violence. This is not a uniquely South African problem. The same... 

‘Almost 100%’ of restaurant workers in South Africa are foreign? Official data disproves finance minister Mboweni’s claim

‘Almost 100%’ of restaurant workers in South Africa are foreign? Official data disproves finance minister Mboweni’s claim

7th December 2020 In April 2020 South African finance minister Tito Mboweni made a startling claim about the number of foreigners working in South Africa’s... 

No South African matric rewrite due to paper leaks, varsity acceptance unchanged

No South African matric rewrite due to paper leaks, varsity acceptance unchanged

3rd December 2020 “I was watching CNN news today and they said that the matric class of 2020 will rewrite all their exams in January due to the Leaking of papers... 

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Verifying Kenyan governors’ claims of progress

Verifying Kenyan governors’ claims of progress

3rd December 2020 While 2020 has been an uncertain year for many, Kenyan politicians remained predictable in at least one way: playing up their achievements in... 

15-million ‘undocumented foreigners’ in South Africa? Herman Mashaba wrong again

15-million ‘undocumented foreigners’ in South Africa? Herman Mashaba wrong again

20th November 2020 Herman Mashaba, former mayor of South Africa’s largest city, Johannesburg, caused a social media stir in November 2020 when he tweeted that there... 

48 000 potholes on Johannesburg’s roads? That’s not nearly the whole story

48 000 potholes on Johannesburg’s roads? That’s not nearly the whole story

20th November 2020 Complaining about potholes is a local pastime for Johannesburg residents. Hop onto Twitter, for example, and you’ll find photos of pockmarked roads... 

Fact-checked: Kenya president’s 2020 state of the nation address

Fact-checked: Kenya president’s 2020 state of the nation address

17th November 2020 In November 2020 Kenya’s president Uhuru Kenyatta reported on the state of the nation, nearly one and a half years since the last such address. The... 

#EndSARS protests: Comparing Nigeria’s health and education spending to cost of lawmaker upkeep

#EndSARS protests: Comparing Nigeria’s health and education spending to cost of lawmaker upkeep

13th November 2020 Nigeria saw major protests over police brutality and weak governance in October 2020, with young people demanding reforms. During and after the... 

Kenya’s last economic recession was in 2002, not 1992 as major TV station claimed

Kenya’s last economic recession was in 2002, not 1992 as major TV station claimed

13th November 2020 Kenya was one of a clutch of African countries whose 2020 economic growth could “remain positive” even as it slowed substantially, the World Bank... 

Donald Trump’s ‘foreign policy’: Fact-checking US$166bn China-Africa trade claim

Donald Trump’s ‘foreign policy’: Fact-checking US$166bn China-Africa trade claim

6th November 2020 In an October 2020 online article, South Africa’s Mail & Guardian said that while US president Donald Trump’s mission was to make America great,... 

Donald Trump’s ‘foreign policy’: Fact-checking US$166bn China-Africa trade claim

Donald Trump’s ‘foreign policy’: Fact-checking US$166bn China-Africa trade claim

3rd November 2020 In an October 2020 online article, South Africa’s Mail & Guardian said that while US president Donald Trump’s mission was to make America great,... 

No evidence nearly 7,500 children die from ‘hunger’ each year in South Africa

No evidence nearly 7,500 children die from ‘hunger’ each year in South Africa

2nd November 2020 “Nearly 7,500 children under the age of five die annually in South Africa as a direct result of hunger,” says an article published by the South... 

Have South Africa’s commercial farmers declined from 120,000 in 1994 to 38,000? DA MP’s claim is misleading

Have South Africa’s commercial farmers declined from 120,000 in 1994 to 38,000? DA MP’s claim is misleading

22nd October 2020 Violent attacks on South African farms have again been in the headlines, following the murder of a young farm manager in early October 2020. Four... 

Kenya’s ex-prime minister Odinga mangles his numbers on government revenue share in Nigeria

Kenya’s ex-prime minister Odinga mangles his numbers on government revenue share in Nigeria

25th September 2020 After months of an often fractious stalemate, in September 2020 Kenya’s senate hammered out a deal on how revenue would be shared  between the... 

Fact-checking influential TV presenter’s claims about child trafficking in South Africa

Fact-checking influential TV presenter’s claims about child trafficking in South Africa

23rd September 2020 In September 2020 a video shared on social media showed a man appearing to try to snatch a child from a restaurant in the Roodepoort area of... 

Factchecking Kenya’s chief justice on judiciary funding and backlog of cases

Factchecking Kenya’s chief justice on judiciary funding and backlog of cases

21st September 2020 To mark the tenth anniversary of Kenya’s constitution, broadcaster NTV interviewed current and former government officials on how the law has been... 

Police violence in South Africa: what do the numbers show?

Police violence in South Africa: what do the numbers show?

14th September 2020 The death of a South African boy in August 2020 has sparked national outrage and raised questions about police violence in the country.  Nathaniel... 

No, WHO hasn’t ‘unequivocally’ said South Africa is not ready to lift Covid-19 lockdown

No, WHO hasn’t ‘unequivocally’ said South Africa is not ready to lift Covid-19 lockdown

6th August 2020 South Africa’s nationwide Covid-19 lockdown was eased in April 2020. It was replaced with a risk adjusted strategy, where regulations are lifted or... 

Fact-checking president Ramaphosa: Have 51% of South African women experienced intimate partner violence?

Fact-checking president Ramaphosa: Have 51% of South African women experienced intimate partner violence?

6th July 2020 South Africa experienced a “dark and shameful week” in June 2020, according to president Cyril Ramaphosa.  In a statement on 13 June, Ramaphosa... 

Alcohol burdens hospitals, but no evidence for South African police minister’s ‘baffling’ numbers

Alcohol burdens hospitals, but no evidence for South African police minister’s ‘baffling’ numbers

2nd July 2020 South Africa has been in lockdown to prevent the spread of Covid-19 since late March 2020. During the early weeks of the lockdown, people could... 

No, Nigeria hasn’t found Covid-19 vaccine yet – but hunt is on

No, Nigeria hasn’t found Covid-19 vaccine yet – but hunt is on

25th June 2020 Has Nigeria developed a vaccine against Covid-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus?  News of this potentially significant development was... 

Up in smoke: Roughly R35m in tobacco tax revenues lost daily during South Africa’s lockdown

Up in smoke: Roughly R35m in tobacco tax revenues lost daily during South Africa’s lockdown

17th June 2020 Smokers in South Africa are grumpy. The sale of tobacco products has been banned in the country since a national lockdown was implemented on 27... 

Are women three times as likely to live to over 100 than men in Kenya? Not exactly

Are women three times as likely to live to over 100 than men in Kenya? Not exactly

30th April 2020 The staggered release of Kenya’s population data following the 2019 census continues to provide new insights into the country’s demographics. The... 

More than an inconvenience: Alcohol ban could help South Africans fight Covid-19 infection

More than an inconvenience: Alcohol ban could help South Africans fight Covid-19 infection

17th April 2020 The South African government recently warned its nearly 400 000 Twitter followers to avoid alcohol.  “It weakens the immune system!” the tweet... 

South Africa has more than 800 ICU beds – but exactly how many is unclear

South Africa has more than 800 ICU beds – but exactly how many is unclear

9th April 2020 “We only have 800 ICU beds in the whole country,” reads a message shared on WhatsApp in South Africa. A user sent the message to Africa Check’s... 

South African mayor incorrect about Covid-19 ‘vaccine’

South African mayor incorrect about Covid-19 ‘vaccine’

30th March 2020 South Africa went into lockdown on 27 March 2020, as the government tries to control the spread of the new coronavirus.  There are now more than... 

Are 40% of South African women raped in their lifetime and only 8.6% of perpetrators jailed?

Are 40% of South African women raped in their lifetime and only 8.6% of perpetrators jailed?

26th March 2020 A newspaper advert from South African advocacy organisation Rape Crisis was shared on Twitter on 26 February 2020. The ad is printed across a... 

No, spekboom isn’t more effective than the Amazon rainforest at ‘sucking carbon’ out of the atmosphere

No, spekboom isn’t more effective than the Amazon rainforest at ‘sucking carbon’ out of the atmosphere

5th March 2020 The latest popular effort to help reverse climate change is to pull carbon out of the atmosphere and store it in plant form – the spekboom plant,... 

Fact-checking president Kenyatta on Kenya’s small businesses – it’s a data ‘Tower of Babel’

Fact-checking president Kenyatta on Kenya’s small businesses – it’s a data ‘Tower of Babel’

4th March 2020 In a January 2020 national address, Kenya’s president Uhuru Kenyatta spoke about the value of small businesses in the country. Micro, small and... 

South Africa’s C-section rate double what it should be? There’s no recommended rate, says WHO

South Africa’s C-section rate double what it should be? There’s no recommended rate, says WHO

26th February 2020 With the start of the new year, babies born on the first day of 2020 were celebrated in South Africa. But it was not plain sailing for all... 

South Africa’s state of the nation address: 2016 to 2019 in review

South Africa’s state of the nation address: 2016 to 2019 in review

13th February 2020 On 13 February 2020, South African president Cyril Ramaphosa will deliver his fourth state of the nation address. The theme for this year’s speech... 

No evidence that 40% of medicines sold in Africa are fake

No evidence that 40% of medicines sold in Africa are fake

10th February 2020 A reader recently contacted Africa Check to verify if a claim that as many as 40% of medicines sold in Africa were fake. This was after a user on... 

Is youth unemployment in Nigeria ‘almost getting to 70%’?

Is youth unemployment in Nigeria ‘almost getting to 70%’?

5th February 2020 As calendars flipped over to 2020, Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari outlined his agenda for the country in a “letter from the president”.... 

Are over 4 000 officers convicted criminals? South African police ‘still checking’

Are over 4 000 officers convicted criminals? South African police ‘still checking’

30th January 2020 A photo being shared on Facebook shows a crowd of people saluting, dressed in the navy-blue uniform of the South African Police Service (Saps).... 

Nigeria’s ‘major’ cancer problem: did vice president Osinbajo get his facts straight?

Nigeria’s ‘major’ cancer problem: did vice president Osinbajo get his facts straight?

29th January 2020 At a recent ceremony, Nigeria’s vice president Yemi Osinbajo launched construction of a new cancer treatment centre at the Muhammadu Buhari... 

No, Eskom doesn’t generate 45% of electricity used in Africa

No, Eskom doesn’t generate 45% of electricity used in Africa

27th January 2020 South African state-owned electricity provider Eskom had a nightmarish start to the year. Only four days into 2020, rolling blackouts resumed... 

Campaigner in hit and miss with facts about Nigeria’s stroke burden

Campaigner in hit and miss with facts about Nigeria’s stroke burden

13th January 2020 On World Stroke Day in 2019, Nigerian media reported on the toll of the life-threatening condition, which is caused by the sudden interruption of... 

Do one in four women in Africa suffer from depression? We checked

Do one in four women in Africa suffer from depression? We checked

9th January 2020 When Wenzile Madonsela Msimanga tweeted about the prevalence of depression among women in Africa, a number of Twitter users wanted to know where... 

More than 15 female vice-chancellors have led Nigerian universities, but higher education still a man’s world

More than 15 female vice-chancellors have led Nigerian universities, but higher education still a man’s world

6th December 2019 The recent appointment of Prof Lilian Salami as the vice-chancellor of the University of Benin in Edo state was widely praised.  Salami becomes the... 

Fact-checked: 5 claims by Kenyan President Kenyatta in national day speech

Fact-checked: 5 claims by Kenyan President Kenyatta in national day speech

5th December 2019 Kenya’s coastal city of Mombasa hosted Mashujaa Day celebrations for the first time in 2019. One of three annual national days in Kenya and... 

Yes, South Africa’s clean energy output up from zero to ‘over 4.5%’ since 2010

Yes, South Africa’s clean energy output up from zero to ‘over 4.5%’ since 2010

4th December 2019 South Africa’s government had “successfully increased the contribution of clean energy from 0% in 2010 to over 4.5% within five years”, energy... 

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