Claim
On the 11th August, 2021, Barotseland Broadcasting Network published on its Facebook page a story claiming Sesheke District Commissioner, Mr. Sililo Namawa, had been detained after having been accused of being in possession of pre-marked ballot papers. The report alleges that Mr. Namawa was detained at Sesheke Police station after a tip off to the United Party for National Development from some senior officials that the District Commissioner was having ballot papers at the office. The story alleges that the opposition parties accused the DC of having ballot papers at his office but found phones which the Patriotic Front party had bought for their members.
Rating Justification
The Fact Checking process has determined as false, the claims that the Sesheke District Commissioner, Mr. Sililo Namawa had been detained following accusations of being in possession of pre-marked ballot papers. In a phone interview with the iVerify Fact Checking team, Mr. Namawa refuted the allegations from Barotse Broadcasting Network that he had been arrested for being in possession of pre marked ballot papers. Mr. Namawa further referred the iVerify Fact-Checking team to confirm with the Police if any arrest relating to his arrest of being possession of pre marked ballot papers. A follow up call from iVerify Fact Checking team to the Special Assistant to the Police Inspector General, Mr. Siwale, had established that no arrest of Mr. Namawa had been recorded on accusation of being in possession of pre marked ballot papers. A separate call from iVerify to Crown TV has established that the alleged boxes were not ballot papers but boxes containing phones for the Patriotic Front.
