What's Crap on WhatsApp?

In this episode of “What's Crap on WhatsApp?”, we look at four election-related claims doing the rounds:

Did the African National Congress (ANC) keep its promise to implement national health insurance in South Africa? No. https://bit.ly/anc_promise

US president Joe Biden did not warn of South African sanctions if the ANC wins the 2024 elections. Ignore this AI-generated video. https://bit.ly/biden_anc

Does this video show Mozambican migrants ‘imported’ to vote for South Africa’s ruling party? Of course not. https://bit.ly/mozambican_migrants

This image of an unenclosed public toilet was built by the opposition Democratic Alliance in 2009, not the ANC. https://bit.ly/anc_toilet

Your friends and family can sign up for our show! Tell them to save our number (+27 82 709 3527) and send us a WhatsApp message to confirm. You can send us any WhatsApp message that you need fact-checked! Forward videos, pictures and links to this number. 

On this episode of “What's Crap on WhatsApp?” we take a deep dive into election misinformation:

Claims you are likely to see during election season.

Emerging narratives on social media.

What to watch out for on election day.

Your friends and family can sign up for our show! Tell them to save our number (+27 82 709 3527) and send us a WhatsApp message to confirm. You can send us any WhatsApp message that you need fact-checked! Forward videos, pictures and links to this number.

In this episode of “What's Crap on WhatsApp?”, we look at four claims doing the rounds:

Did load-shedding cost the economy R300 billion in 2022? This claim is mostly correct. https://bit.ly/loadshedding_economy

No, you can’t ‘eliminate’ varicose veins with rosemary and laurel. There is no cure for the condition. https://bit.ly/varicoseveins_cure

Yes, WhatsApp is still encrypted. Ignore this viral hoax doing the rounds since 2021. https://bit.ly/whatsapp_encrypted

Can you get a South African ID online? No, ignore messages claiming they can help you obtain essential documents. https://bit.ly/southafrica_documents

Your friends and family can sign up for our show! Tell them to save our number (+27 82 709 3527) and send us a WhatsApp message to confirm. You can send us any WhatsApp message that you need fact-checked! Forward videos, pictures and links to this number.

In this episode of “What's Crap on WhatsApp?”, we look at four claims doing the rounds:

Will the real Slim Shady please stand up? Eminem did not endorse the EFF opposition party in South Africa, this video is a deepfake. https://bit.ly/eminem_eff

Yes, the top three billionaires do own more wealth than the poorest 26 million citizens in South Africa. https://bit.ly/wealth_inequality

If you don’t vote in South Africa’s elections, will your vote automatically go to the ruling party? No! https://bit.ly/southafrica_votes

Does this video show a Nigerian citizen arrested in South Africa for selling drugs? Nope! https://bit.ly/southafrica_nigeria

Your friends and family can sign up for our show! Tell them to save our number (+27 08 709 3527) and send us a WhatsApp message to confirm. You can send us any WhatsApp message that you need fact-checked! Forward videos, pictures and links to this number.

In this episode of “What's Crap on WhatsApp?”, we look at four claims doing the rounds: 

Is South Africa the most unequal country in the world? Yes, but there are problems with cross-country comparisons. https://bit.ly/southafrica_unequal

No, the South African Reserve Bank did not give a performance award to a bank in Orania. https://bit.ly/sarb_orania

Did Microsoft announce plans to ‘disable’ computers used to post ‘non-mainstream content’? Nope! https://bit.ly/microsoft_computers

 No, South Africans did not attack Nigerians after the 2024 Afcon semifinal. https://bit.ly/afcon_attack

Your friends and family can sign up for our show! Tell them to save our number (+27 82 709 3527) and send us a WhatsApp message to confirm. You can send us any WhatsApp message that you need fact-checked! Forward videos, pictures and links to this number.

In this episode of “What's Crap on WhatsApp?”, we look at four claims doing the rounds:

SCAM ALERT: A false message claims to offer prepaid electricity to the public through unverified WhatsApp numbers. https://bit.ly/prepaid_electricity

Does this video show supporters of South Africa’s uMkhonto weSizwe Party? No, it shows a May Day rally in the Dominican Republic. https://bit.ly/crowd_southafrica

This viral video shows a homophobic assault in Brazil, not a white farmer attacked in South Africa. https://bit.ly/southafrica_video

Does a photo of a large rusted vehicle lying across a river show an “old school bus turned into a bridge in Zimbabwe”? Nope! https://bit.ly/bus_bridge

Your friends and family can sign up for our show! Tell them to save our number (+27 82 709 3527) and send us a WhatsApp message to confirm. You can send us any WhatsApp message that you need fact-checked! Forward videos, pictures and links to this number.

In this episode of “What's Crap on WhatsApp?”, we look at four claims doing the rounds:

No, South Africa’s Economic Freedom Fighters party is not making fake identity documents for migrants. https://bit.ly/eff_fakeidentity

Is aluminium in vaccines or aluminium foil bad for your health? No, these claims are false. https://bit.ly/aluminium_health

Does this image show a mobile phone factory in Zambia? No, it was made using artificial intelligence. https://bit.ly/phone_factory

This widely-shared photo shows the famous Hoover dam in the US, not the Nandoni dam in South Africa’s Limpopo province. https://bit.ly/nandoni_dam

Your friends and family can sign up for our show! Tell them to save our number (+27 82 709 3527) and send us a WhatsApp message to confirm. You can send us any WhatsApp message that you need fact-checked! Forward videos, pictures and links to this number.

On this episode of “What's Crap on WhatsApp?” we take a deep dive into election misinformation:

Investigating claims made by the ruling African National Congress during its annual January 8th statement. https://africacheck.info/ancstatement_southafrica

Why it’s important to debunk misinformation ahead of the 2024 general elections in South Africa.

Tips to help you spot and debunk election misinformation.

Your friends and family can sign up for our show! Tell them to save our number (+27 82 709 3527) and send us a WhatsApp message to confirm. You can send us any WhatsApp message that you need fact-checked! Forward videos, pictures and links to this number.

In our first episode of “What's Crap on WhatsApp?” for 2024, we look at four claims doing the rounds:

Not all Oreo biscuits are halal but NONE of them are made with pig’s milk. https://bit.ly/oreo_milk

Do some common South African foods contain graphene oxide? Nope. https://bit.ly/food_grapheneoxide

No, CBD gummies won’t cure your tinnitus, and may make ringing in your ears worse. https://bit.ly/cbd_tinnitus

Was South African president Cyril Ramaphosa rushed to hospital? No, ignore this ‘malicious rumour,’ says spokesperson. https://bit.ly/ramaphosa_hospital

Your friends and family can sign up for our show! Tell them to save our number (+27 82 709 3527) and send us a WhatsApp message to confirm. You can send us any WhatsApp message that you need fact-checked! Forward videos, pictures and links to this number.

It’s our last episode of “What's Crap on WhatsApp?” this year. We’re looking back at four claims from 2023:

Yes, it is possible that drinking too much water can be lethal. https://bit.ly/water_intoxication

Do NOT throw flour on a fire - flour is a fuel that can itself catch fire. Ignore this widely shared advice. https://bit.ly/fire_flour

No, you still don’t risk catching leptospirosis by drinking from a tin can. https://bit.ly/leptospirosis_can

Beware of this dangerous advice! Colloidal silver cannot be used as an antibiotic or HIV medicine. https://bit.ly/colloidalsilver_antibiotic

Your friends and family can sign up for our show! Tell them to save our number (+27 82 709 3527) and send us a WhatsApp message to confirm. You can send us any WhatsApp message that you need fact-checked! Forward videos, pictures and links to this number.