• Zille was correct about that Johannesburg replaced just 17 kilometres in 2023/24, and that the city loses more than 46% of its water, a level an expert told Africa Check was far above international norms.

• However, in comparing Johannesburg to the DA-run City of Cape Town, Zille was off the mark. Cape Town has not replaced more than 200 kilometres of pipes every year since 2006, as she claimed.

• The Joburg mayoral candidate was also inaccurate about where Cape Town ranked internationally on limiting water losses – other cities perform much better.

When public figures make claims about vital services like water, our fact-checkers dig into the data so that you can separate fact from political spin.

This kind of work takes time, expertise, and your support.

Help us keep holding leaders accountable through verified, evidence-based reporting.

• The president was on the money with many of his figures, including that inflation hit a three-year low in August 2025, external reserves were at their highest levels since 2019 and that N330 billion was disbursed to 8 million households under the National Social Investment Programme.
• However, some claims were misleading, such as comparing quarterly GDP-growth with annual figures and equating non-oil exports with all non-crude exports.
• Tinubu’s main incorrect claim was that his administration cut Nigeria’s revenue-to-debt service ratio from 97% to below 50%. We also couldn’t find evidence for his claim that 153,000 workers had benefited from a N30 billion loan scheme.

Journalists and fact-checkers from across Africa were honoured in Dakar, Senegal, on 2 October 2025 at the African Fact-Checking Awards for their outstanding investigations.

Ariel Gbaguidi from La Nation in Benin won Fact-Check of the Year by a Working Journalist for debunking false claims that Benin was harbouring military bases to destabilise neighbouring Burkina Faso.

Samad Uthman from AFP Fact Check took home Fact-Check of the Year by a Professional Fact-Checker for exposing an AI-generated video advertising fake herbal cures for heart disease.

Badra Dabbabi from SheChecks in Tunisia won Fact-Check of the Year by a Student Journalist for uncovering misinformation about the HPV vaccine.

Runners-up included fact-checks on inflated rent prices in Senegal, a fake university degree and false pregnancy test claims.

The ceremony was part of the Africa Facts Summit 2025, hosted by Africa Check, which brought together over 200 participants from the fact-checking, media, academic and tech communities.

A roundup of some of the most popular but completely untrue stories and visuals of the week. None of these are legit, despite being widely shared.

FALSE: Facebookposts claim that soaking your hand in cold water for five minutes will make headaches “disappear”. But what little research there is says this may make your headaches worse.

FALSE: Even if type O blood was linked to lower levels of two “inflammation markers”, this would not be proof that it slows ageing as claimed online. To make matters worse, there’s no evidence that the supposed research behind this viral claim exists at all. 

FALSE: Facebook posts claim that several health problems are caused by “a dirty womb” and promote a natural remedy as a cure. But there is no evidence that such home remedies treat reproductive health issues.

FALSE: An image of South African politician Kenny Kunene appearing to take an oath is circulating on social media. In it, a large '26' tattoo is visible on his arm, supposedly linking him to a prison gang. But the original images from the ceremony show no such tattoo; the viral version was altered. 

SCAM: A message circulating on social media in South Africa claims that Eskom is offering learnerships and training programmes and urges users to apply via the provided link. However, the power utility has repeatedly warned job seekers to be wary of such scams and to rely only on its official channels for opportunities.

SCAM: Don’t trust those dodgy ‘KFC Jobs’ Facebook page – large companies recruit through official sites, and they don’t ask applicants to share social media posts.

MISSING CONTEXT: A short video of Fikile Mbalula, a prominent South African politician, saying the country “doesn’t have a government” and is “run by cartels” is circulating online. But the clip has been taken out of context.  

Kenya 🇰🇪

FAKE: An image imitating the design of Kenya’s Standard newspaper front pages claims politician Rigathi Gachagua referred to former minister Fred Matiang’i as a fool. But it has been fabricated.

FALSE: A photo of former Kenyan prime minister Raila Odinga on a hospital bed went viral on social media in October 2025, with users claiming he is critically ill. However, the photo is from 2017.

FALSE: Posts on social media claim that Cleophas Malala, deputy leader of Kenya’s Democracy for Citizens Party, was fired. There is no evidence to support this claim.

FAKE: A memo supposedly from Kenya’s education ministry orders university students to vacate campuses due to an ongoing lecturers’ strike. But the education minister dismissed it as fake.

FAKE: Fake graphics mimicking reputable news outlets online are increasingly being used to falsely depict opposition politicians as supporters of Kenyan president William Ruto. We exposed one such graphic.

Nigeria 🇳🇬

FALSE: Social media posts claim that the son of Nnamdi Kanu, who is the leader of the secessionst Indigenous People of Biafra, has won an “international brain competition”. But the claim is false.

FALSE: An image of Nigerian politician Peter Obi shaking hands with US president Donald Trump is circulating online, with the claim the leaders met. But Obi has debunked it.

FALSE: Another online photo shows Peter Obi with transport union leader Musiliu Akinsanya, who is also popularly known as MC Oluomo, with the claim being that the two met. But this is not true.

FALSE: The National Youth Service Corps has warned prospective members to ignore an online step-by-step "payment guide" circulating on social media. Members should register and pay only through the NYSC's official portal.

MISLEADING: In September 2019, Nigerian police rescued over 300 people from a supposed Islamic school after its operators were accused of torture and abuse. Social media posts claiming the incident took place in September 2025 are misleading. 

SCAM: Several Facebook pages are asking users to invest in a platform called Norland. But the platform has been flagged by fact-checkers and has all the red flags of a fake investment platform.

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Your weekly dose of facts in newsletter form is created by Laura Kapelari (@laurakapelari). It is edited by Lee Mwiti (@LMAfrican) and Cayley Clifford (@cayleyclifford).