A viral social media post falsely claims that Inspector General of Police Graphel Musamba said musician Clifford Dimba, popularly known as General Kanene, killed himself and was not attacked by UPND supporters. iVerify Zambia found no evidence that the Inspector General made the alleged statement. Official police communication indicates that General Kanene was allegedly assaulted during a political campaign rally in Shibuyunji District and that investigations are ongoing. The claim is therefore false.
Claim:
On 4 August 2026, a Facebook user identified as Hadodi Hachisanga The Return published a post claiming that Inspector General of Police Graphel Musamba stated that Clifford Dimba, popularly known as General Kanene, killed himself and was not attacked by UPND supporters.
The post reads:
“General Kanene killed himself not by the UPND supporters. We have not seen any video or photos where General Kanene was not attacked by anyone. Opposition should stop provoking the UPND, IG Musamba.”
At the time of publication, the post post had attracted more than 1,100 reactions, 462 comments, and had been shared more than 14 times. We have removed the link to the original report to avoid amplifying the disinformation.
Verdict: False
Rating Justification:
iVerify Zambia verified the claim and found no evidence that Inspector General of Police Graphel Musamba made the statement attributed to him.
Furthermore, the claim that Clifford Dimba, popularly known as General Kanene, killed himself has been contradicted by the Zambia Police Service’s official press statement issued by Public Relations Officer Godfrey Chilabi on 4 August 2026.
According to the statement, preliminary investigations indicate that Mr. Dimba was allegedly assaulted during a violent incident at a political campaign rally in Nampeya Ward, Shibuyunji District, on 3 August 2026.
The statement further indicated that police had opened investigations into the incident and that the investigations were ongoing. At no point did the official statement state that Mr Dimba killed himself.
Additionally, Mr Dimba refuted the viral claim through a statement published on his official Facebook page, General Kanene. In the statement, he said he was attacked by individuals armed with pangas and golf sticks while performing in Mwembezhi East, Nampeya Ward.
Conclusion:
The claim that Inspector General of Police Graphel Musamba stated that General Kanene killed himself is false. No evidence has been found to support the claim, and it contradicts the official position communicated by the Zambia Police Service. Members of the public are encouraged to verify information through credible and official sources before sharing it.
Evidence:
