A video shared on Facebook falsely claims to show the brother of UPND Media Director Mark Simuuwe beating Zambian airport officials. iVerify Zambia found that the footage actually shows Gabonese MP Augustin Lobelle Yembi in an altercation with a RwandAir employee at Kigali International Airport in Rwanda on 3 September 2026.
Claim
A video shared on Facebook by Emmanuel Mwamba on 11 September 2026, but later deleted, claimed that the brother of United Party for National Development (UPND) Media Director Mark Simuuwe had beaten up airport officials.
The claim suggested that the individual shown in the video was Mark Simuuwe’s brother and that the incident involved Zambian airport officials.
Verdict: FALSE
Rating Justification
iVerify Zambia reviewed the claim and found it to be false.
Analysis of the video and comparison with reports of the incident show that the footage is not from Zambia and does not involve Mark Simuuwe’s brother.
The footage relates to an incident involving Gabonese Member of Parliament Augustin Lobelle Yembi at Kigali International Airport in Rwanda on 3 September 2026.
Reports about the incident state that Yembi was involved in a confrontation with a RwandAir employee at the airport after an interaction concerning travel documentation. The footage circulating online shows Yembi in the altercation before he is restrained by other airport personnel.
Subsequent reporting indicates that Yembi was arrested in Kigali following the incident and was later handed over to authorities in Gabon. The matter also involved engagement between the Rwandan and Gabonese authorities.
These details establish that the footage has been taken from a real incident in Rwanda but falsely presented as an incident involving a Zambian public figure and Zambian airport officials.
There is no evidence in the available material establishing that the person shown in the video is Mark Simuuwe’s brother.
Conclusion
The claim is false.
The video does not show Mark Simuuwe’s brother beating Zambian airport officials. The incident occurred at Kigali International Airport in Rwanda on 3 September 2026 and involved Gabonese MP Augustin Lobelle Yembi and a RwandAir employee.
The video has therefore been misrepresented and presented without its original context, creating the false impression that the incident occurred in Zambia and involved a relative of a Zambian political figure.
iVerify Zambia advises members of the public to verify the origin, date, location and context of videos before sharing them, particularly where they concern public figures, political parties or sensitive allegations. Genuine footage can be repurposed and recirculated with false descriptions to create misleading narratives.
Evidence
Facebook post on the arrest of Gabonese MP Augustin Lobelle Yembi on September 3
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1EzZbwaoWe/
Video/reporting relating to the Kigali Airport incident:
https://x.com/978KazoFM/status/2097410523784499704?lang=ar-x-fm
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.
