- Stay Connected
Socialize
PERSON Behind SATA Assassination Rumour UNMASKED ‘A Zambian Living In The UK’
An unverified alteration on Wikipedia that Zambian President Michael Sata had died in an assassination Sunday morning prompted the presidency to strongly criticize online media and suspects facing corruption charges.
Wikipedia – a free online encyclopedia that anyone can edit- allowed the publication of over the wire of an edited biography of President Sata claiming that the Zambian head of state had been killed.
“Michael Sata was assassinated in the early hours of the 22nd of January. He was killed through a single shot to the chest, which proved to be fatal,” read the falsified Wikipedia alteration which has since been deleted.
Source and location of the culprit
The alteration appears to have been done in the United Kingdom town of Crawley by unknown persons using the IP Address 82.11.64.177 through the domain name virginmedia.com with Virgin Media Limited as Internet Service Providers.
The falsified alteration was sent through a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) or Digital Subscriber Loop – a family of technologies that provide internet access by transmitting digital data over the wires of a local telephone network.
The coordinates for the altered post appeared to be 51°6’48″N -0°10’58″W while the weather station code for the alter was UKXX0816, signifying that it was done in the England region of the UK.
The falsified death claim was available and accessed worldwide early hours of Sunday.
The false report was apparently picked by news blogs that flight Zambian news and current affairs but later pulled off after State House in Lusaka issued a statement in rebuttal.
Response
Incensed by the altered biography, President Sata’s public relations aide, George Chellah expressed misgivings and strongly blamed a named news website and some unidentified persons that are apparently being investigated on corruption charges for the claims that President Sata had died.
Chellah said State House was saddened by the malicious, sadistic and unfounded story that claimed that President Sata was dead.
“This follows the publication of an insensible and sickening article by a named uncouth website, claiming that the Head of State was assassinated in the early hours of today, January 22, 2012,” Chellah said. “As a matter of fact, State House is aware that such horrid stories are being perpetrated by certain rogue elements, with a bulk of them being investigated for gross misconduct and corruption in the ongoing crusade against graft.”
The presidency has since ordered Zambia’s security wing to hunt down and arrest publishers of online news sites and blogs that produce Zambian related content.
Blackout
The order to hunt down online publications by authorities in Zambia comes barely two weeks after Wikipedia and other major global outfits staged an access blackout to protest against pieces of legislation being pushed by the US authorities regarding copyright on the Internet.
The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect IP Act (PIPA) are bills in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, respectively.
These bills are presented as efforts to stop copyright infringement committed by foreign web sites.
Opponents of the bills – including Wikipedia – have criticized the bills as a channel that would disrupt free expression and harm the Internet.
Years ago, then Zambian president Fredrick Chiluba’s photo on State House website was defaced by hackers, a case which was later taken to court after the alleged perpetrator was tracked down.
This is not the first time President Sata has been reported to have died.
Reports of his death had become common during election campaigns prior to his ascendancy to the presidency in September 2011.
Zambia’s Internet regulator, ZICTA is yet to comment on the involvement of Internet media in the latest Wikipedia alteration.
Tumfweko has however located the person responsible of the lies but has at the moment decided to withhold the names.
Posted by Editor
on January 24, 2012. Filed under LATEST NEWS.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0.
You can leave a response or trackback to this entry
mwansa
January 24, 2012 at 4:30 pm
please bakabolala leave our president alone.let him do his job in cleaning up this country in peace.the person responsible must be brought to book nombaline….
Mpopo yapa zed
January 24, 2012 at 4:35 pm
crucifythe culprit immediately!
Bokosi
January 24, 2012 at 5:03 pm
Not that i beleive the rumour but as a scientist taught to look for evidence, has the president been seen since this sad news?
UPND'S Hakainde@ngombe
January 24, 2012 at 5:06 pm
MUTUNGULENI OR CASTRATE NANGU MUFYENI AMATOLE
egwugwu
January 24, 2012 at 5:45 pm
very DULL BOKOSI havent you seen todays daily mail Mr sata praying with the cabinet ministers at statehouse.****** mwanya ngamwaleiba na RB the party is over.jele manje
No sense
January 24, 2012 at 7:40 pm
Abetting a crime is full knowledge of e criminal
me
January 24, 2012 at 8:25 pm
Ma president shall liv long…
Buumba
January 24, 2012 at 8:31 pm
That’s crazzy. Why falsehood?
zolila
January 24, 2012 at 9:47 pm
Mr president we r very mch supporting u.u were choosen by God despite the stolen bullot papers pipo opted for u.
MMD and ka under five especialy MMD thieves stop satanist manners pls….
Chubam
January 24, 2012 at 11:24 pm
Lets protect our president the M.c.s .Is clean the all conerrs of Zambia to make it a better place for me and all Zambia.
El Magra
January 25, 2012 at 3:09 am
ignorance ba tumfweko u put wrong title for this wat did u gain by statin all the technologies used by the said assailant ? nothin so why say u have unmasked like u revealin person behind it? ignorance to increase reader numbers yachilamo
OCTOPUS PAUL BWALYA
January 25, 2012 at 3:57 am
ITS OK
westlife-2012
January 25, 2012 at 4:46 am
limbi ni chi mudala chi VJ.
chilbit
January 25, 2012 at 8:00 pm
PRESIDENT SATA WAS GENUINELY elected by the people of Zambia.Abash malicious articles against our beloved President.Zambians we are peace loving people.Bring that culprit to book.Let him be taught a lesson.LONG LIVE MCS HE.