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Fake tweet: Tanzanian opposition politician didn’t vow to appeal party’s presidential primary

Tanzanian politician Lazaro Nyalandu has tweeted that he will appeal his loss in the Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (Chadema) opposition party’s presidential primary.

Or so it seems in a screenshot of a tweet circulating on Facebook in early August 2020.

It reads, in Kiswahili: “Nitakata rufaa. Tundu Lissu kura 415  Lazaro Nyalandu 36 Dk. Mayrose Majinge kura 1. Hatuwezi kuibiana kura nikakaa kimya. Bora niede ACT Wazalendo hata kesho.”

This roughly translates as: “I will appeal. Tundu Lissu 415 votes, Lazaro Nyalandu 36 votes Dr. Mayrose Majinge 1 vote. We cannot steal votes and expect me to stay silent. I would rather go to Alliance for Change and Transparency (ACT) even tomorrow.”

Did Nyalandu tweet this? We checked. 



‘Do not bear false witness’


On 3 August Nyalandu posted the screenshot on his verified Twitter account.



“FAKE FAKE FAKE!!!” he wrote. “Haya sio maneno yangu. Na hiyo ni account FAKE! Imeandikwa, Usimshuhudie jirani yako uongo.” The Kiswahili translates as: “These are not my words and that account is FAKE! It has been written, do not bear false witness against your neighbour.”

Nyalandu lost the presidential candidacy to Tundu Lissu in the Chadema primary. On his Twitter feed, Nyalandu is seen congratulating Lissu. He conceded defeat and now supports Lissu. – Grace Gichuhi




 

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