AI Report on Southern Africa http://misa.org the 2023 election from previous ones was the proliferation of mobile internet and social media. Information is generated much more readily. It also spreads considerably faster and further than before. Images uploaded on social media platforms were a key component in disseminating fake news ahead of the elections. Both political parties utilised AI-doctored photographs of previous gatherings or from completely unrelated circumstances to create the misleading impression of widespread support. Events in Zimbabwe and elsewhere on the continent highlight the need for safeguards against the use of social media and bots to undermine democratic processes. There is also a need for social media literacy to ensure that citizens understand and use the power of the internet appropriately. In Zambia, a deepfake video surfaced on social media, depicting President Hichilema announcing his decision not to run in the 2026 election. Zambians are set to vote for a new president in 2026. The 55-second video has Hichilema speaking in front of the Zambian flag. The video is slightly fuzzy, and the colours appear to have been filtered. Hichilema’s body remains still throughout, with only his mouth moving. The AI-generated deep-fake video states: “It is with the utmost sincerity and a profound sense of duty to our great nation that I announce my decision not to seek re-election in the upcoming general elections of 2026.” “I believe this decision is in the best interests of our country and its future,” Hichilema reportedly said. AFP Fact Check14, a fact-checking group, conducted a reverse image search and discovered the original image on Hichilema’s official X account. In the shot, he is wearing the same tie and blue blazer, the flags in the backdrop fall in the same pattern, and the folds on his blazer’s left arm are identica “Hakainde Hichilema Declares his Not running for 2026 elections (sic),” reads the caption. 14 I-generated video of Zambian president misleads about 2026 election plans https://factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp. com.33Z363J 32