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Electoral Commission warns voters about AI election disinformation

Published

Ongoing: Elections Hot

The Electoral Commission issued the warning after a reported deepfake video appeared that purports to show Nelson Mandela telling South Africans to stop voting for the ANC. The video's content is not established as authentic.

The video reportedly shows Mandela telling citizens to stop voting for the ANC. It says the party has failed them and calls it corrupt. The video also includes allegations that the ANC stole pension funds.

These are claims made in the video itself. They are not established facts, and the video has not been verified.

Key facts

Who
Independent Electoral Commission (South African electoral body that issued the warning); Nelson Mandela (person depicted in the reported deepfake video); African National Congress (party named in the reported video); Electoral Commission (election body issuing the warning)
What
The IEC warned voters about AI-generated election disinformation following a reported deepfake video showing Mandela telling citizens to stop voting for the ANC. The video is reported in the description, and the allegations in it are presented as content of the video rather than established fact.
When
29 October 2026
Where
South Africa
Status
Reported

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