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| Zimbabwe crisis: Reality Check debunks false rumours and fake photos | |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| After reports emerged of the military seizing control in Zimbabwe, social media was full of stories about what was happening during a stunning 24 hours, but not all were accurate. | After reports emerged of the military seizing control in Zimbabwe, social media was full of stories about what was happening during a stunning 24 hours, but not all were accurate. |
| Robert Mugabe, the country's leader for more than three decades, was put under house arrest, and he wasn't the only government figure to be swept up in the military's action. | Robert Mugabe, the country's leader for more than three decades, was put under house arrest, and he wasn't the only government figure to be swept up in the military's action. |
| The Finance Minister, Ignatius Chombo, had also been detained, a government source told the Reuters news agency. | The Finance Minister, Ignatius Chombo, had also been detained, a government source told the Reuters news agency. |
| And one Zimbabwean MP told al-Jazeera that $10m (£7.5m) had been recovered from Mr Chombo's house. | And one Zimbabwean MP told al-Jazeera that $10m (£7.5m) had been recovered from Mr Chombo's house. |
| This report of a vast stash of cash in the home a politician in poverty-stricken Zimbabwe sparked anger in some corners of the online press, but it also led to the use of incorrect photos. | This report of a vast stash of cash in the home a politician in poverty-stricken Zimbabwe sparked anger in some corners of the online press, but it also led to the use of incorrect photos. |
| While we do not have confirmation of whether the money was found at the home of Mr Chombo, the suitcases displayed in the Zimbabwe Today post definitely weren't. | While we do not have confirmation of whether the money was found at the home of Mr Chombo, the suitcases displayed in the Zimbabwe Today post definitely weren't. |
| That photo was taken after a police raid in Brazil earlier this year, as reported by Bloomberg. | That photo was taken after a police raid in Brazil earlier this year, as reported by Bloomberg. |
| The story in full | |
| Some Twitter users found the incident quite amusing. | Some Twitter users found the incident quite amusing. |
| A second pile of money also featured in some of the news reporting of the raid, but that wasn't in Zimbabwe either. | A second pile of money also featured in some of the news reporting of the raid, but that wasn't in Zimbabwe either. |
| The same photo appeared in a CNN story from April about a discovery made by an anti-corruption unit in Nigeria. | The same photo appeared in a CNN story from April about a discovery made by an anti-corruption unit in Nigeria. |
| There was also a case of mistaken identity after one user wrongly identified Mr Chombo. The following photo isn't Mr Chombo, it's the former Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo, in 2011. | There was also a case of mistaken identity after one user wrongly identified Mr Chombo. The following photo isn't Mr Chombo, it's the former Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo, in 2011. |
| Meanwhile, the British embassy in Harare was also flagging up "fake news" having noticed an image of a letter purportedly from the UK Border Agency circulating on some Zimbabwean WhatsApp groups. | Meanwhile, the British embassy in Harare was also flagging up "fake news" having noticed an image of a letter purportedly from the UK Border Agency circulating on some Zimbabwean WhatsApp groups. |
| Despite containing spelling errors and inappropriate language for an official document, it has still been widely shared. | Despite containing spelling errors and inappropriate language for an official document, it has still been widely shared. |
| Read more from Reality Check | Read more from Reality Check |
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