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Africa Check

Yes, Nigeria is the world’s ‘highest producer of HIV-infected babies’

Yes, Nigeria is the world’s ‘highest producer of HIV-infected babies’

27th November 2018 Under the headline “Nigeria highest producer of HIV-infected babies”, the Sun newspaper reported on a new project to prevent the virus from being... 

Does Gauteng make up a third of South Africa’s GDP? And is it Africa’s seventh biggest economy?

Does Gauteng make up a third of South Africa’s GDP? And is it Africa’s seventh biggest economy?

20th November 2018 South Africa’s Gauteng province beat several other African locations to host the Africa Investment Forum, premier David Makhura said in early... 

Does Kenya’s tea-rich Kericho county get ‘nothing’ for its green gold?

Does Kenya’s tea-rich Kericho county get ‘nothing’ for its green gold?

16th November 2018 How resources are shared can be a source of friction between Kenya’s central government and its 47 new counties. Established by the 2010... 

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Has Buhari’s government plunged Nigeria into $80 billion in debt?

Has Buhari’s government plunged Nigeria into $80 billion in debt?

13th November 2018 Nigeria’s 2019 elections are just months away, and Peter Obi, the recently announced Peoples Democratic Party candidate for vice president, has... 

Buhari campaign gets its numbers wrong about ‘record’ Nigeria agricultural exports

Buhari campaign gets its numbers wrong about ‘record’ Nigeria agricultural exports

1st November 2018 One of Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari’s key promises in his bid for re-election in 2019 is to create more jobs in agriculture. A top official... 

Is top ruling Jubilee Party official right about who is paying income tax in Kenya?

Is top ruling Jubilee Party official right about who is paying income tax in Kenya?

31st October 2018 Kenyan taxpayers are unhappy after President Uhuru Kenyatta signed off on a law that increased taxes on many goods and services, including an 8%... 

‘65% of females’ in Kenyan slum traded sex for sanitary pads? Unicef & UK newspaper pull stat from thin air

‘65% of females’ in Kenyan slum traded sex for sanitary pads? Unicef & UK newspaper pull stat from thin air

25th October 2018 Seven in 10 females in Nairobi’s Kibera slum have traded sex for sanitary pads, a British online newspaper claimed in a September 2018 article.... 

Do South Africa’s civil servants get R8 out of every R10 the government spends?

Do South Africa’s civil servants get R8 out of every R10 the government spends?

24th October 2018 South Africa’s newly minted finance minister is set to deliver his first budget speech today. Ahead of the speech, Tito Mboweni commented on the... 

Does one in 10 children in Nigeria die before their 5th birthday?

Does one in 10 children in Nigeria die before their 5th birthday?

23rd October 2018 Nigeria’s social spending is shamefully low, states the ‘best and worst’ section of Oxfam’s commitment to reducing inequality index. The index... 

Digging up the numbers on informal mining in Nigeria

Digging up the numbers on informal mining in Nigeria

4th October 2018 Millions of people in Nigeria survive on artisanal and small-scale mining, the country’s minister of mines and steel, Abubakar Bwari, reportedly... 

Spectator Index tweet exaggerates Nigeria’s suicide rate

Spectator Index tweet exaggerates Nigeria’s suicide rate

28th September 2018 Popular for the facts and figures it tweets, the Spectator Index posted a list of the suicide rates in different countries earlier this year. The... 

 Check the stats, Ramaphosa – 62 people murdered on SA farms & smallholdings last year

Check the stats, Ramaphosa – 62 people murdered on SA farms & smallholdings last year

27th September 2018 Speaking in New York, South Africa’s president claimed that farmers are not being killed in his country. Cyril Ramaphosa was commenting on a tweet... 

Yes, neighbourly South Africa helps keep Zimbabwe’s lights on

Yes, neighbourly South Africa helps keep Zimbabwe’s lights on

26th September 2018 After an hour and a half of answering questions in parliament, South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa wasted little time on a question from the... 

Number of qualified primary school teachers and grade 6 literacy in Nigeria higher than claimed

Number of qualified primary school teachers and grade 6 literacy in Nigeria higher than claimed

18th September 2018 Nigeria’s ailing education system is shown in the bad shape of its public schools, the head of an educational charity said recently. The Nation... 

Tax revenue and development spend: does Kenya’s majority leader get his numbers right?

Tax revenue and development spend: does Kenya’s majority leader get his numbers right?

14th September 2018 The leader of the majority party in Kenya’s national assembly wasted no time in trading punches with his TV host as he waded into a national... 

Checked: Two claims about the ‘astronomical’ cost of Nigeria’s election

Checked: Two claims about the ‘astronomical’ cost of Nigeria’s election

6th September 2018 Presidential hopeful Kingsley Moghalu recently took issue with the budget for Nigeria’s 2019 elections, comparing it to the cost of the 2014... 

Women teach and men lead? Gender inequality in South African schools examined

Women teach and men lead? Gender inequality in South African schools examined

3rd September 2018 Studies of female teachers’ path to leadership positions usually focus on the barriers and challenges they may face. That’s why Stellenbosch... 

Violence against South Africa’s women, children: verifying claims at a men’s summit

Violence against South Africa’s women, children: verifying claims at a men’s summit

30th August 2018 Men from organisations across South Africa came together for a summit in August 2018 to develop a “men’s charter” and a “men’s sector strategic... 

China owns 20% of Kenya’s external debt – not 70% as reported

China owns 20% of Kenya’s external debt – not 70% as reported

21st August 2018 Worried about being up to its ears in debt, Kenya’s government wants to hire experts to manage its borrowing, local media has reported. Much of... 

No, murder rate for women in South Africa hasn’t spiked by 117%

No, murder rate for women in South Africa hasn’t spiked by 117%

20th August 2018 Claim: The UN estimates 117% rise in killing of women in South Africa since 2015 Verdict: Explainer: 117% is from data now withdrawn by Stats SA 

Townships contribute R100bn to South Africa’s economy? No way to tell

Townships contribute R100bn to South Africa’s economy? No way to tell

20th July 2018 “South Africa’s townships contribute up to R100-billion to the overall economy,” the chief executive of business advisory service EntBanc wrote in... 

Do 8 300 super-rich Kenyans own more than the rest?

Do 8 300 super-rich Kenyans own more than the rest?

10th July 2018 Kenya’s wealthy have little trouble remaining in the spotlight. In April 2018, British think tank Chatham House spoke of the country’s “rampant”... 

Eskom and the viral infographic: do the numbers add up?

Eskom and the viral infographic: do the numbers add up?

9th July 2018 Worker protests over pay at South Africa’s power utility have led to lights being turned off across the country. The utility, Eskom, announced... 

Do 10 Nigerians die from cancer every hour?

Do 10 Nigerians die from cancer every hour?

6th July 2018 In a story about a cancer screening event, a reporter in ThisDay newspaper claimed that “at least 10 Nigerians die from cancer every hour”. Health... 

Hit or miss? 5 claims by Kenyan governors fact-checked

Hit or miss? 5 claims by Kenyan governors fact-checked

5th July 2018 Kenya is grading its new system of government after the constitution created 47 new administrative units in 2010. These counties started to govern... 

Are 57% of South African kids raised without fathers?

Are 57% of South African kids raised without fathers?

4th July 2018 In its latest advertising campaign, detergent brand Omo features a young boy reading from a homemade Father’s Day card. “Thank you for always being... 

Did the DA-led Western Cape create ‘75% of all jobs’ in SA last year? ‘Confusing’ claim correct

Did the DA-led Western Cape create ‘75% of all jobs’ in SA last year? ‘Confusing’ claim correct

27th June 2018 UPDATE: This report was retracted on 25 June 2018 following concerns that important context had not been included. It has since been updated to... 

Do 80% of Nigerians lack safe drinking water? It’s worse than that

Do 80% of Nigerians lack safe drinking water? It’s worse than that

22nd June 2018 In one of his regular columns, veteran Nigerian journalist Dele Sobowale questioned whether his government was ready to provide for a growing... 

As help from Cuba arrives, is there only one Kenyan doctor for every 16,000 people?

As help from Cuba arrives, is there only one Kenyan doctor for every 16,000 people?

19th June 2018 The chief of staff in the Kenyan presidency claimed the country’s doctor-to-patient ratio was one doctor to every 16 000 patients. There are 7 333... 

Do 200 000 abortions – many a ‘repeat’ – take place in SA each year?

Do 200 000 abortions – many a ‘repeat’ – take place in SA each year?

5th June 2018 An MP seeking to introduce changes to South African abortion law claimed 200 000 abortions took place each year, many of them “repeats”. Official... 

Buhari’s 2018 Democracy Day speech: 7 main claims under scrutiny

Buhari’s 2018 Democracy Day speech: 7 main claims under scrutiny

30th May 2018 President Muhammadu Buhari gave his second Democracy Day speech on 29 May 2018 to commemorate Nigeria’s return to civil rule in 1999. Buhari... 

Health minister quoted outdated TB stats for Nigeria, South Africa

Health minister quoted outdated TB stats for Nigeria, South Africa

23rd May 2018 Nigeria’s fight against tuberculosis (TB) suffered a setback when a laboratory that analysed TB samples burned down in March 2018. Nigeria’s junior... 

Claim that malaria kills 756,000 Nigerian children each year incorrect

Claim that malaria kills 756,000 Nigerian children each year incorrect

16th May 2018 Malaria is rife in Nigeria where about a quarter of global malaria deaths occur annually. But does it take the lives of over 756 000 Nigerian... 

Yes, South Africa spends as much on VIP protection & security as on land reform

Yes, South Africa spends as much on VIP protection & security as on land reform

9th May 2018 Compensation for land has “never in fact been prioritised in national budgets previously”, Gwen Ngwenya, the head of policy for the Democratic... 

Uhuru Kenyatta’s 2018 State of The Nation Address fact-checked

Uhuru Kenyatta’s 2018 State of The Nation Address fact-checked

3rd May 2018 Following a drawn-out re-election in 2017 Uhuru Kenyatta is keen on refocusing the national agenda on development. His national address looked... 

Validating ‘the truth’ about SA’s education system

Validating ‘the truth’ about SA’s education system

25th April 2018 A South African Twitter account promises to “tell you the truth, no matter how hard it is to accept”. But are the education claims @Sowellnomics... 

No way to tell that 70% of Nigerian inmates ‘have never been convicted’

No way to tell that 70% of Nigerian inmates ‘have never been convicted’

24th April 2018 Nigerian prisoners serving time in the UK may be deported home to finish their sentences in a new 112-bed wing of the Kirikiri prison complex in... 

Do 1-in-5 Nigerian adults suffer from long-term depression? World Bank revises brief

Do 1-in-5 Nigerian adults suffer from long-term depression? World Bank revises brief

16th April 2018 Alarmed about what it said were rising suicides in Africa’s most populous country, a national newspaper in Nigeria attributed it to every fifth... 

Do South Africans each guzzle 235 litres of water per day?

Do South Africans each guzzle 235 litres of water per day?

13th April 2018 Debating South Africa’s 2018 State of the Nation address, president of the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) Parks Tau noted that... 

South African road agency gets traffic deaths stat wrong

South African road agency gets traffic deaths stat wrong

12th April 2018 Road safety receives particular attention from South African authorities during the holiday period and this Easter was no different. In a social... 

SA’s serial murder & rape ‘ranking’ not supported by data

SA’s serial murder & rape ‘ranking’ not supported by data

10th April 2018 South Africa’s last forensic psychologist has resigned from the police, leaving law enforcement unable to quickly identify serial crime offenders,... 

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