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SA pic used to illustrate xenophobic riots in Zambia

This article is more than 8 years old

A screenshot of the CCTV Africa tweet. A screenshot of the CCTV Africa tweet.

“Zambia police fight rioters as attacks on foreigners spread,” tweeted Kenyan based broadcaster CCTV Africa yesterday.

Xenophobic violence broke out on Monday in the country’s capital Lusaka, with reports that more than 250 people have been arrested. Rwandan shop owners appear to be have been the target.

The picture attached to the tweet, and included in the report, shows a man in a blue-striped shirt being attacked on a litter strewn street.

But as people have pointed out, the picture isn’t from the recent riots in Lusaka. A give away is the sign for Jeppe Street visible behind the scuffle.

Using Google’s reverse image search, we discovered that the picture was actually taken in Johannesburg just over a year ago by photographer Marco Longari for AFP.

The original caption accompanying the pictures reads: “A local taxi driver is pushed around during a confrontation with foreign nationals in the Johannesburg Central Business District on April 15, 2015.” - 20/04/2016

Note: CCTV Africa has subsequently deleted the tweet and replaced the image in the report

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