A viral Facebook post falsely attributes remarks to former MMD Deputy Minister of Finance Jonas Shakafuswa claiming that “the Bemba people are the problem in the country.” Shakafuswa has denied making the statement, while iVerify Zambia’s review of his original remarks found no evidence that he made or implied the alleged comments.
Claim
A Facebook page called Zambian Freedom published a post on 11 September 2026 attributing the following statement to former Deputy Minister of Finance in the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD)-led government, Jonas Shakafuswa:
“The Bemba people are the problem in the country.”
Note: We have excluded the link to the post containing the false claims, to avoid further amplifying misinformation.
Verdict: False
Rating Justification
iVerify Zambia reviewed the claim and found it to be false.
iVerify Zambia contacted Jonas Shakafuswa regarding the allegation. He dismissed the claim as false and clarified that he did not, at any point, say or imply that Bemba people are the problem in the country. Shakafuswa also addressed the allegation in a separate statement published on his Facebook page, in which he described it as a deliberate attempt by some people to “make headlines and start chatting on their lies.”
iVerify Zambia further reviewed the original statement that appears to have been used as the basis for the allegation. The review found no evidence that Shakafuswa made the remarks attributed to him by the Zambian Freedom Facebook page.
Conclusion
The allegation that Jonas Shakafuswa said Bemba people are the problem in Zambia is false.
There is no evidence in his original statement to support the quotation attributed to him. His own response also expressly rejects the allegation. The false attribution risks distorting a public figure’s position and inflaming politically driven ethnic tensions and divisions. Public statements should therefore be checked against the original source before being shared or attributed to individuals.
Evidence
Shakafuswa’s original statement
Shakafuswa’s response to the allegation
Help Stop the Spread of Misinformation
Before sharing election-related or public affairs information, verify whether it comes from credible and official sources. If you encounter suspicious claims, images or videos, submit them to iVerify Zambia for verification.
Have information to share or a claim you would like us to verify?
WhatsApp/Call: +260 762 974 750
Email: factcheck@panos.org.zm
Together, we can reduce the spread of misinformation and disinformation, promote access to accurate and verified information, and help protect the integrity of public discourse.
