DisInfo Central: The evolution of MK's ‘big lie’ conspiracy theory about SA’s 2024 elections

Fact check: MK is clearly looking to get a bit more traction in KZN to try and get a working majority there. It's a cheap tactic and making threats implying violence is despicable, but trying to make out that this is some sort of function of social media as this piece does is massively exaggerated, at least if the thin 'evidence' printed here is anything to go by. Zuma made his threat on TV ast an official election evenet; should TV be banned? Rumours and lies spread before social media existed and will always spread. Some people believe all ballots are rigged, it's been alleged throughout history and of course sometimes they really are manipulated. The Maverick is part of a campaign to censor social media because it can't cope with the competition. This piece looks like another attempt in that direction. Misinformation? Malformation? Let the reader decide but please no ministry of truth.

There are no conspiracies but allegations made that the author fails to completely refute. He, instead copies the American left wing media & blows hot air failing to investigate the allegation & provides evidence of these allegations being false. One can also call this author a conspiracy theorist for his claims. While he tries to invoke Trump, he fails to draw a comparison between the blackout in America & our system blackout during a crucial period of our elections. This incident is not properly explained. Neither was the public provided with a snapshot of the results immediately prior to the failure & immediately after it came online. The author must stop spreading his conspiracies with evidence. Investigate the system failure & then make his claims providing evidence with numbers to refute there was no rigging.

Such things as highlighted in this article relating to allegations of election rigging are good in a way and will help strengthen our democracy. It has become a norm for members of the ruling elites globally and locally to distabilize their own systems of rule . Maybe it's a new emerging phenomenon to confuse the gullible masses in order to reinforce the system or what, I don't know. I am just a normal citizen myself, maybe it's a new play book. But if the system is not strong enough to withstand such stuff as MK allegations then it must fall and a new one , if at all must replace. I believe in the strength of our democracy to emerge from this new post ANC era even stronger. ANC is no longer capable of guiding the process because of its own internal organisational structural challenges and all the rest of it. So a new centre of gravity must of necessity come into being to fill the vacuum left by the aanc . Maybe I am this new centre, and you can call me ghost protocol, because I am a ghost of Christmas that never was. Or the ghost of a parallel universe Christmas. A Christmas that took place in a parallel universe and is now interfering with this universe in this timeline in what is called a quantum entanglement in a string theory type of equation. But I digress. So, yeah beware the ides of March etcetera etcetera

Listening to Mike Baker on the Joe Rogan podcast you start getting a feel for the extent of the foreign government (Iran, Putin) funded disinformation campaigns on social media with a large percentage of those posts being compiled with the help of AI bots. This is a “new” frontier that we don’t understand. Hugely powerful and influential!

This Country was successful because it was built by both Black and White persons. I hope now we could do it again with a coalition government !

Seems like the pro MK /putin bots are hard at work. The 2 first ‘comments’ made by Malusi Ndungane and Jeff Pillay seem quite odd for a couple of reasons. One, I have never seen them comment before. Two both were made in an attempt to discredit the author and DM and 3 the time they were made being at 00.39 and 01.47 literally hours after this article was first published. Now I certainly respect everyone’s right to free speech but if these people are paid putin bots I give DM full permission to take whatever steps necessary to bot proof their newspaper.

There is zero chance of correcting social media content or having facebook, whatapp, twitter, etc take any corrective action. The law is pointless - a case would take two years. That leaves the only option : use the same social media to expose and counter misinformation.

Makes you wonder which party actually did any rigging and I doubt its those "older longer standing ones". Unfortunately social media is full of gullible people who if told the moon was made of cheese actually believe it. Some of us want this country to be a success others dont care.

Typical of the MK. What difference will a recount make anyway. Very unlikely to make a meaningful difference. Just the normal posturing. Watching the press briefings of the EFF, what is very noticeable is how the members of the panel find everything a big joke, giggling, sneering etc like kids in a playground. These people are unable to behave like mature adults at probably the most important and significant event for the country in 30 years. How can anyone take them seriously. The MK and EFF have no place in a coalition. Hopefully they wont be part of a coalition. The good news about this election is that the EFF and ANC have been extremely humbled. It was made obvious with a rather sheepish looking Julius and Fikile at their respective press briefings. None of them could come to grips with their failure. They both evaded and distracted from the questions they had been asked and couldn't string together cohesive sentences. Meaningless mumble. At least the ANC accepted the election outcome and appear not to have rigged the election which was my fear. I had previously not ruled this out but am glad I was wrong. It appears Cyril has recognized his, and his parties failures and seems to accept he needs to work together with other parties, hopefully the DA and MPC parties excluding the EFF and MK to improve South Africa. Certainly and interesting week or two ahead.

And DM never did anything to improve the credibility... The reality is that the ICE process, although largely credible, was not flawless! For various reasons lots of voters are not happy. These votes would not have changed the outcome - but who cares - certainly not the media!

Who are MK/Zuma's benefactors. The benefactors would see the demise of the ANC because corruption would be a major Election theme, so would Russia back their favourite corrupt son. So all help by Putin will go in this direction (I want Nuclear ). The Master of rigged elections is Putin. The March 15-17 presidential election was the most rigged in Russia's modern history, according to evidence published by election experts, observers, and media. Estimates of vote rigging range from at least 22 million votes to about 31.6 million votes, without taking into account the online voting and the election at gunpoint in Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine. If these results are included, voting fraud could have amounted to up to around 40 million votes, or 46% of the people who allegedly voted. So who better than Putin to direct his team to assist Zuma.

The "Big Lie" in America and the "Big Lie" in South Africa. Same forces at work. Zuma's party did better than expected and the EFF is on par. In fact all the result are pretty much "on par" if one accepts that Zuma's gains would be largely the ANC's losses. So the "Big Lie" is just mischief making rhetoric.

Why is everyone ignoring the very important fact that the Court ruled Zuma unfit to stand for election due to his criminal record. MK votes should therefore be reduced to zero. Or will his criminal record merely be an accolade when he joins the rest of the criminals in parliament?

I'm reminded of a little book entitled "Mere Christianity, written by CS Lewis, author of the very well known children's books, "The Chronicles of Narnia", where he addresses the claims that Jesus made to be God. In it, he says that there are logically only 3 responses or deductions available to people considering the claims, viz., - they are true; - they are made by someone on the same level as one who claims to be a poached egg, i.e. one bereft of their senses; or, - they are false. These same options are open to anyone considering the claims of MK, which, essentially are the claims of Jacob Zuma. Firstly, I must accept, despite the leanings I have to consider otherwise, that Jacob Zuma does not believe that he is a poached egg. A rotten egg, possibly, but poached egg not likely. The second option open to me is that Jacob Zuma is telling the truth. Well, I won't waste time considering that as an option. The only alternative, therefore, it's that Jacob Zuma is being extremely economical with the truth. Based on previous events, I must conclude that Jacob Zuma is an adherent of another party, probably even another family, a son of the deceiver who, as Tonto put it, speaks with forked tongue! Interesting, Satan is portrayed as a snake in the garden of Eden, one with a forked tongue who seeks to lead others astray with a clever, but certainly not wise, mixture of truth and lies, just enough truth to catch men and women who want to hear things that pander to their pride.

Showerhead's been doing this for years. First, he attacks the judiciary when things don't go his way, it's a conspiracy against him. Then he pays a British company to coin the term "white monopoly capital" which he tries to sow dissent amongst the people, but the plan backfires when it comes to light that its just a paid-for ad campaign. Now he attacks the IEC so that when things don't go his way (again), he has someone to blame. Same poepol, same trends, same voters.

Social media is an echo chamber for those that cannot think for themselves. The word here is 'sheeple' and those pulling the AI bot strings know it. It amazes me that actually the good guys refuse to stoop to this level, and run counter propaganda. I suppose that is their choice and they get to live with the same consequences we all do. Interesting moral dilemma.

And when Zuma passes on, who then, surely not this daughter!

Typical Maskirovka from the Nkandla Chess master

Twitter as an organisation has to hold some accountability for providing the rails for the destruction of democracy. They may not fund bot armies or bad faith actors, but they certainly provide them a free ticket to ride their system

Please no long stories…

Why am I not surprised! Zuma is a toxic and devisive individual and should never have become involved in MK in a perfect world. He nearly brought this country to its knees during his 9-year reign of incompetence. However, he is allowed to compete (More's the pity) but he should not be allowed to spread lies and sow seeds of doubt in people's minds.

What do people expect when Zuma and Putin are best friends? Anybody that still does not understand how propaganda works and how it is orchestrated by Russia, needs to wake up. South Africa is just one more target of Russia's international destabilisation campaign in which they identify any regional differences between people and start polarising it. There is always a local winner through their offensive but the FINAL winner is Russia. The locals are merely their puppets or useful idiots. Russia does not give a sh*t for them apart from using them as a handy tool for their own long term goals.

I have already seen two or three articles posted by IOL claiming that the criticism of Zuma and the MK party is unfounded or racist and that the "lost years" under the Zuma administration was actually a productive and successful time, so it seems a media campaign is already underway to further spread misinformation.

Interesting piece, where do we put these accusations? are they not worth entertaining because of the source? when does wrong actually become wrong? I wish to know how the IEC will action such gross accusations, with evidence already floating around.. I really want to see the impartiality of the institution, even if its being purposefully tested

If greed and evil had faces, the ones on this article would be prime contenders for the position.

Straight out of their financiers playbook. They must really think South Africans are stupid.

Yes

Ha, Ha Luckily no body takes dishonest people seriously least of all the Zuma family and Julius and his cronies. The ANC can be thankful Ramaphosa was leading them because if Zuma was still there the voters would have given the ANC only the votes that MK & Putin got. I was very impressed with Ramaphosa's statement ship at the announcing of the final tally of the votes by the IEC.

America got Trump SA got Zuma. You decide who got the better deal. 2 pages from the same book.