Opinion: When ‘Neutral’ Fact-Checks Let Political Allies Off the Hook

Clear lead: what happened

On 19 March 2024, Africa Check published a piece by Mary Alexander titled: “Misleading to claim eight South African opposition parties ‘stand with Israel’” and rated the graphic in question FALSE. The fact-check found that only two parties the ACDP and FF Plus had explicitly said they stood with Israel.

What the critique argues

Hassen Lorgat argues this literalist approach masked broader context and relationships. He contends the fact-check’s methodology relied on a narrow snapshot social posts and party websites rather than probing historical ties, political networking or other evidence of sympathy or allegiance to Israel.

Selection and timing

One core complaint is that the choice to fact-check the graphic ahead of elections created a framing that effectively exonerated several parties. Lorgat calls this a bias of selection: the act of choosing which claims to test, and when, influences public perception.

Snapshot testing vs. wider context

The critique faults the “snapshot” approach used by the fact-checkers, arguing that ruling claims “mostly true” or “half false” without historic and political context leaves readers uninformed about power dynamics and established relationships.

Funding and platform dependence

Lorgat highlights that Africa Check receives funding from organisations including Google and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and raises concerns about whether such funding and reliance on Meta platforms affect neutrality when reporting on Israel and Palestine. He cites broader reporting alleging ties between major tech firms and Israeli military infrastructure and references calls for greater transparency around platform moderation of Palestine-related content.

Examples the critique says were overlooked

Lorgat points to two types of evidence he believes the fact-check should have considered:

• “Junkets”: he notes two delegations organised by the South African Friends of Israel (SAFI) one in 2015 and another in 2024 that included senior political figures and which, he says, shaped public statements and positions.
• Public records and statements by party figures: he summarises examples of past visits, interviews and statements from members of the ACDP, PA, DA, IFP, COPE and others that, in his view, indicate varying degrees of support for Israel or engagement with Israeli actors.

Specific party concerns raised

The article summarises Lorgat’s assertions about several parties:

• ACDP cited for Christian Zionist sentiment and family links to Israel advocacy.
• Patriotic Alliance (PA) led by Gayton McKenzie, described as openly pro-Israel and reported to have joined SAFI visits.
• Democratic Alliance (DA) criticised for internal discipline over Gaza commentary and for a resurfaced photo of former leader Mmusi Maimane meeting Benjamin Netanyahu in 2017; the critique highlights incidents of silencing dissenting voices within the party.
• IFP, COPE and others referenced with historical ties or statements that Lorgat says complicate an easy exoneration.

On definitions and language

Lorgat also contests the Africa Check article’s geographic and descriptive language, saying encyclopaedic phrasing for example, describing Gaza as “controlled by Hamas since 2007” ignores the political reality of occupation and sidesteps international human rights reporting, including Amnesty International conclusions cited in his piece.

Conclusion: facts need context

Summing up, Lorgat warns that fact-checking that focuses only on isolated claims risks becoming part of the misinformation cycle it aims to correct. He urges fact-checkers to couple verification with historical and political context, to examine funding and platform influences, and to avoid offering powerful actors a “free pass”especially during election season.

Author note: The critique was written by Hassen Lorgat, who notes he writes in a personal capacity and lists his affiliations. The views presented do not necessarily reflect those of IOL or Independent Media.