More than 80 people have died after a wave of mob violence driven by social media rumours that a touch can make a man's genitals shrink or disappear. Police data from six countries link the killings, which began in October 2025 and continued through July, to posts, videos and warnings shared widely on platforms including TikTok and Facebook.
Investigators trace the pattern to the Democratic Republic of Congo last year, before similar incidents spread through Burundi, Zambia, Tanzania, Mozambique, Angola, Malawi and Kenya. Local footage verified by authorities shows crowds dragging and beating men while demanding the return of allegedly stolen body parts, and some clips have been viewed tens of thousands of times.
Tanzanian mechanic Boniface Mgala said he was pulled from a restaurant in Tunduma and beaten by a crowd convinced he had "stolen someone's genitals." He woke in hospital two days later and learned his companion had been killed. Mgala now walks with a limp, has recurring headaches and cannot return to work.
Photographer Michael Silavwe described watching a man chased and set on fire after related videos circulated online, "After they set him on fire, the police arrived at the scene and everyone scattered and ran away," he said. Witness testimony from several locations gives a consistent picture of panic, vigilante hunts and scenes of extreme brutality.
Officials and residents link the outbreaks to long-standing fears about witchcraft, but say smartphones and social networks amplified the panic. Momba district commissioner Elias Daniel Mwandobo told local authorities that inquiries found some incidents involved deliberate provocation, with individuals stoking fear for personal gain.
Community leaders and victims say families are traumatised and local commerce has been disrupted as people avoid public spaces. Police in affected districts have increased patrols. Some online users have sold protective charms or posted satire, which authorities say further blurs the line between parody and dangerous misinformation.
A Meta spokesperson said, "We are reviewing the content shared with us and will take action on those that are found to violate our policies." TikTok has not responded to requests for comment. Dozens of videos, warnings and eyewitness clips remain accessible, which officials warn keeps the risk of fresh outbreaks high. They call for stronger platform moderation and sustained local policing to prevent new attacks, while the persistence of viral content means the threat is unlikely to disappear quickly.
