Election misinformation: old videos, ballot claims and fake polls

Limpopo police have warned against old videos and photographs being presented as current election incidents. In a 4 November report of the police statement, SAnews records Commissioner Lieutenant General Jan Petrus Scheepers’ concern that misleading posts can provoke panic, conflict and intolerance.

The warning reported by SAnews does not identify a particular disputed clip or announce arrests linked to that warning. It should not be used to label every report of an incident false.

What a specific ballot-box clip shows

In a 3 November fact-check, Africa Check examined a widely shared video captioned as a current incident in Ward 19, Rustenburg. It found that a sealed box marked for home visits was being transported during special voting and that the footage did not establish vote rigging. Africa Check reported the IEC’s explanation that officials were returning the materials to the voting station.

That assessment concerns the particular footage Africa Check examined. For another clip, establish its original upload, place, date and full sequence. A caption, a party logo or the presence of election materials is insufficient to establish the claim attached to it.

Earlier checks and reporting routes

Ahead of South Africa’s 4 November 2026 municipal elections, voters were urged to verify suspicious online claims and report harmful false information. Government guidance published on 30 October points people to Real411, where complaints can be assessed rather than simply recirculated.

The warning follows a concrete example. In a 29 October fact-check, Africa Check found that a graphic purporting to show ANC support in Tshwane was a fake poll. It said the organisation credited with conducting it could not be established as a transparent research institution. The graphic had circulated on X and Facebook.

Africa Check identified no credible basis for this particular graphic. Its findings do not establish who created it, whether a party commissioned it, or how residents will actually vote.

Keep the evidence, report the claim

The Real411 complaint form accepts reports of misinformation or disinformation, hate speech, harassment and incitement to violence. It asks where the content appeared and allows supporting screenshots, images or video. Preserve the original post and relevant context when reporting.

According to Real411’s published process, complaints are reviewed for scope before a subcommittee decides what action is appropriate. Outcomes can include referral to another body or assistance from a platform. Complainants are notified and an appeal route is available. A submission does not itself establish wrongdoing or guarantee removal.

Its assessment criteria consider whether information is false or misleading, potential public harm and public-interest considerations, including satire.

A chatbot answer still needs checking

Verification also applies to tools carrying official branding. GroundUp reported on 30 October that its tests of government’s pilot RSA Facts chatbot produced a fabricated SASSA grant announcement after a tester claimed to work in government. The report also recorded correct answers and refusals. TPR has not independently reproduced those tests.

Meanwhile, the 30 October government report describes CSIR projects intended to help fact-checkers prioritise suspect content. Those technologies remain under development and testing; they are not a public guarantee that a claim is true.

For readers, the practical check is the original evidence: find the dated announcement behind a screenshot, compare it with the responsible institution’s published notice, and check whether a cited poll supplies a research organisation and methodology. If a claim remains unverified, pause before forwarding it.