IN SHORT: A graphic falsely attributed to Tanzania's state broadcaster TBC claims 10,518 people died in violence linked to the 2025 general election. Official findings put the death toll at 518 deaths.
A graphic circulating on Facebook claims a commission of inquiry in Tanzania reported 10,518 deaths from violence linked to the October 2025 general election.
The graphic reads: "Tume: Idadi ya vifo vya ghasia Okt. 29 ni 10,518." This translates from Kiswahili as: "Commission: The number of deaths from violence on Oct. 29 is 10,518."
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The image carries the branding of Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation (TBC), the country's state-owned broadcaster, and features former chief justice Mohamed Chande Othman, who chaired the inquiry.
The graphic surfaced shortly after the commission submitted its findings to president Samia Suluhu Hassan.
This graphic has been posted here and here. But did TBC really report this? We checked.
Fake graphic
Africa Check found no evidence that TBC ever published the graphic. It does not appear on the broadcaster's official Facebook or Instagram pages, where major government announcements are typically shared.
TBC has since dismissed the graphic as misleading and warned of possible legal action against those circulating it.
Credible media reports and official statements show that the commission reported 518 deaths linked to the violence and not 10,518 as claimed in the viral graphic.
The false figure appears to have been exaggerated by adding extra digits.
