Claim
News diggers, on 17th August 2021 reported that on 16th August 2021, in the early hours of the morning, the PF Secretariat was ransacked by unknown people, stealing property worth thousands of Kwacha. This happened a few hours before the President-Elect, Mr Hakainde Hichilema gave his Press Briefing at his home in New Kasama, Lusaka.
Rating Justification
The fact-checking process has rated as true the claim by News Diggers that unknown people attacked the PF secretariat on 16th August 2021. In a fact checked video by iVerify posted on Diamond Facebook page on Patriotic Front Secretariat attack, in an interview, a security guard Mr. Voster Namamba said that the place was broken into during the night and the perpetrators took with them TVs, laptops, and photocopying machines among other things, and some vehicles that were in the Secretariat yard were also broken. A video also fact checked by iVerify team posted by Parly ZED Facebook page on the Patriotic Front secretariat attack, the Secretary General Davis Mwila in an interview at the PF Secretariat said that suspected political cadres had stormed the secretariat around 03:00Hours and various items which included computers, chairs, air conditioners, were stolen. For clarity, iVerify contacted the Zambia Police Spokesperson Esther Katongo who confirmed that it was true. According to her the place was attacked and a lot of property was damaged yet its not known who attacked the place because the case is still under Police investigation. Based on this evidence, iVerify has determined the claim by News Diggers as true.
