iVerify Zambia 2.0 Relaunched as Fontline Defence to Safeguard 2026 Elections
17 February 2026 — The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in partnership with the Panos Institute Southern Africa (PSAf), today officially re-launched iVerify Zambia 2.0, a national fact-checking and response mechanism designed to combat misinformation, disinformation, hate speech and safeguarding Zambia’s democratic processes ahead of the 2026 General Elections.
Originally established in 2021, iVerify Zambia was created to respond to the growing threats of misinformation and disinformation in Zambia’s democratic and electoral landscape. The platform played a critical role in improving public access to verified information, strengthening transparency, and enhancing citizen trust in democratic institutions, while fostering collaboration among media houses, civil society organisations and election management bodies.
However, the rapid evolution of the digital information environment driven by artificial intelligence, algorithmic amplification, deepfakes, synthetic media and coordinated inauthentic behaviour has significantly increased the scale, speed and sophistication of information manipulation.
The re-engineered iVerify Zambia 2.0 is a sustainable platform that integrates AI-enabled monitoring and early-warning systems with rigorous human verification processes, coordinated response protocols and structured public media literacy interventions. The platform is implemented under the National Action Coalition on Information Integrity in Elections, bringing together media institutions, civil society organisations, government bodies, digital platforms and development partners in a nationally coordinated response to information threats.
In his opening remarks Panos Institute Southern Africa Executive Director Mr Vusumuzi Sifile said iVerify Zambia stands as a frontline response, identifying falsehoods, verifying claims and promoting a culture of accuracy accountability and trust.
Mr Sifile said Everyone here has a role to play. The government, cooperating partners, Journalists, civil society, regulators, electoral bodies, digital platforms community radio stations faith leaders and citizens themselves are all part of the information ecosystem.
Speaking at the re-launch the United Nations Resident Coordinator Beatrice Mutali said with the launch of iVerify Zambia 2.0, we acknowledge that today’s challenges are more complex than those faced five years ago when the mechanism was first established. AI has fundamentally altered the scale, speed and sophistication of manipulation.”
Ms Mutali said hate speech polarizes communities and intimidates candidates during elections, as well as historically marginalized groups such as women, youth, persons with disabilities and formerly incarcerated individuals.
“iVerify Zambia creates a shared platform for detection, verification, and response. It shifts us from reactive crisis management to proactive risk mitigation.
She added that as Zambia approaches the 2026 General Elections, this work becomes even more critical. “Elections are moments of both opportunity and vulnerability. They allow citizens to exercise their sovereign voice, but they also intensify competition and sharpen narratives conditions in which misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech can flourish.”
Also speaking at the launch, UNDP Resident Representative Dr James Wakiaga PhD, said safeguarding information integrity is not just about technology it is a matter of inclusion, equality, and protecting democratic participation for women, young people and persons with disabilities.”
“As Zambia approaches the 2026 General Elections, access to accurate, timely and verified information is essential for public trust, peaceful participation and democratic stability.
Meanwhile, Ministry of Information and Media Mr Thabo Kawana represented by Director Press and Media Mr Morden Mayembe, Mr Kawana said, “the success of iVerify Zambia 2.0 will depend on all of us. It is not a task for government or media alone, it requires the active participation of civil society, academia, regulators, digital platforms, journalists and ordinary citizens“.
“The re-launch comes at a critical moment as Zambia approaches the 2026 General Elections, a period traditionally characterised by heightened political competition and increased vulnerability to information manipulation,” said Mr Kawana
The initiative is led by the Panos Institute Southern Africa with support from UNDP and partners, positioning iVerify Zambia 2.0 as a core pillar of Zambia’s democratic resilience infrastructure, not only for the 2026 electoral cycle, but as a long-term national mechanism for strengthening information integrity.
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For more information and media interviews, contact:
UNDP Zambia Communications Analyst Mercy Khozi; mercy.khozi@undp.org
UNDP Zambia Senior Elections Advisor Takawira Musavengana; takawira.musavengana@undp.org
Panos Institute Southern Africa Executive Director, Vusumuzi Sifile, vusa@panos.org.zm
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