Maputo, 10 Oct (AIM) – An image of Ossufo Momade, leader of Mozambique’s main opposition party, Renamo, apparently lending his support to the ruling Frelimo Party in the municipal elections scheduled for Wednesday, is based on a manipulated photograph, according to an investigation by the Mozambican chapter of the regional press freedom body. MISA (Media Institute of Southern Africa).
The photo shows Momade standing beside Paulo Vahanle, the Renamo mayor of the northern city of Nampula, who is running for a further term of office.
But far from supporting Vahanle, Momade is waving with three fingers of his right hand outstretched – and since Frelimo is number three on the ballot paper, this is read as coded advice to Nampula citizens to vote for Frelimo.
He thus supposedly contradicts Vahanle, who has just two fingers outstretched, and Renamo is number two on the ballot.
This photo has circulated on social media, with claims that Momade is some kind of clandestine Frelimo supporter.
But MISA found that the photo has been faked. The MISA fact-checking unit found that, in the original photo Momade is waving with his entire hand, with all five fingers outstretched. That original photo has been crudely altered. In the altered version, Momade’s hand is darker than in the original, and his fingers are somewhat longer than in the original.
MISA checked with the man who took the original photograph, Nampula-based photographer Sitoi Lutxeque, who covered the Renamo election campaign in the city. He said he could not recall Momade doing anything to endorse the Frelimo campaign.
A second altered version of the same photo has also circulated, which even shows Momade wearing a red cap and T-shirt – red is the Frelimo colour. This version even shows the Frelimo symbol on Momade’s T-shirt. But in the original, Momade is wearing a cap and T-shirt in the Renamo colour of blue.
MISA concludes that the idea that Momade was supporting Frelimo “is pure manipulation, at least based on this image”.
(AIM)
Pf/ (341)
