More Than 80 Killed in African Mob Attacks Over False Genital Theft Claims
Reporting based primarily on bbc.com.
More than 80 people have been killed in mob attacks across six African countries since October 2024 after being falsely accused on social media of stealing or shrinking men's genitals through a simple touch. [2]
Deadly Mob Attacks Triggered by Genital Theft Rumors
More than 80 people were killed between October 2025 and July this year following false accusations about what is termed "genital theft". [2] The killings are linked to rumours that a simple tap on the shoulder can cause a man's genitals to shrink or disappear. [2] They are being fuelled by widespread misinformation on social media. [2] Such claims are rooted in longstanding fears and superstitions. [2] The recent wave of rumours appears to have started last year in the Democratic Republic of Congo. [2] They progressively spread across the region to Burundi, Zambia and Tanzania as well as Mozambique, Angola, Malawi and Kenya. [2] In Zambia, the hearsay about disappearing genitals first gained traction in March when a woman was lynched, going on to spread panic across the border in Tanzania. [2]
Survivor's Account from Tanzania Border Town
Tanzanian mechanic Boniface Mgala told the BBC about his ordeal in April when he was badly beaten by those convinced he was a genital thief. [2] "They were shouting that we had stolen someone's genitals and we didn't have any way to escape because there was a huge crowd," he said. [2] He and his friend had gone into Tunduma on 1 April to meet a client about a car sale and decided to eat lunch beforehand. [2] They had not long sat down in the restaurant when they were dragged outside by a mob. [2] Mgala traces his fingers along the sickle-shaped scar that runs down the right side of his head. [2] Two smaller scars on his chin and a missing tooth are other visible marks of his ordeal. [2] Amid the beating, he lost consciousness. [2] Mgala regained awareness in hospital two days later to news that his friend had been killed. [2] Back at his house where he lives with his wife and their four children, he now walks with a limp and says he also suffers from constant headaches. [2] He has not been able to return to work at his mechanic shop but says neighbours and friends have helped cover the cost of some of the medicine he needs. [2] On the same day that Mgala and his friend were attacked, commercial photographer and businessman Michael Silavwe says he witnessed another similar assault in Tunduma. [2] Outside his shop he saw people running and says he learned that a man had been accused nearby and was being beaten - and later set on fire. [2] "After they set him on fire, the police arrived at the scene and everyone scattered and ran away," the 23-year-old told the BBC. [2] In a video of the attack verified by the BBC Global Disinformation Unit and viewed more than 100,000 times across TikTok and Facebook, a group is seen beating a man while demanding he return the victim's allegedly stolen genitals. [2] "Those incidents kept escalating and people kept getting beaten," Silavwe said. [2] Asha Steven Mwakilasa, a 50-year-old tailor and fashion designer in Tunduma, agrees the claims are not true. [2] Momba district commissioner Elias Daniel Mwandobo told the BBC local investigations suggested there was deliberate criminal intent behind some of the incidents. [2] "Individuals conspired to commit a crime and incite public panic for their own benefits." [2]
Escalation in Mozambique and Official Response
The worst-hit country has been Mozambique, where the police said in May that 55 people had been killed in six weeks, including a police officer, health workers and civil servants. [2] Mozambique's President Daniel Chapo publicly condemned widespread rumours and deaths, saying the claims were false and the government had found no medical evidence to suggest anyone had lost a part of their body. [2] The two healthcare workers were attacked at their home and workplace in April in Cabo Delgado province. [2] The health facilities in the areas of the attacks had to close for weeks while the authorities launched public awareness campaigns to counter the claims. [2]
What to watch next: Dozens of recordings of mob violence, alleged first-person accounts, warnings about alleged incidents, commentary and videos framed as reports of events in particular areas are circulating across TikTok and Facebook, with many of those analysed by the BBC, including some showing mob violence, remaining online. [2]
