False: Dam Video Shows Zimbabwe’s Lake Mutirikwi, Not Zambia’s Kariba Dam

Rating Justification

Verify Zambia has determined that the video shared by Zambian Accurate Information Facebook page is false. The footage in question does not sow Kariba Dam but rather Lake Mutirikwi, formerly known as Lake Kyle, in Zimbabwe. While the caption on the video does not explicitly claim that it is Kariba Dam, its context especially in relation to Zambia’s electricity situation may lead viewers to wrongly assume that it is Kariba Dam.

Investigations conducted by iVerify Zambia using video analysis and Google reverse image search to ascertain the authenticity and origin of the footage. These revealed that the video was first uploaded online on February 9, 2025, and later circulated across multiple platforms, like YouTube, X (formerly Twitter), and Facebook. The findings also reveal that the dam shown in the video is Lake Mutirikwi in Zimbabwe and has no connection to Kariba Dam or Zambia.

Additionally, there is no official report or announcement from the Zambian government about an overflow at any of the hydropower generation dams in the country.

Furthermore, according to an update from the Zambezi River Authority on 17th February 2025, the current water level at Kariba Dam stands at 476.41 meters, which is only 0.91 meters (6.31%) above the minimum operating level of 475.50 meters. This indicates that while water levels have increased, they are far from reaching the level where the Authority would have to open the spillway gates to release excess water from Lake Kariba.