'The crowd shouted that we'd stolen someone's genitals' - deadly rumours spread on social media

Asha Steven Mwakilasa, a 50-year-old tailor and fashion designer in Tunduma, which is in Momba district, agrees: "I came to realise it was not true."This does not stop her anxiety - especially if her husband or sons are out, but she says she is grateful that the police are now mounting patrols.Momba district commissioner Elias Daniel Mwandobo told the BBC local investigations suggested there was deliberate criminal intent behind some of the incidents: "Individuals conspired to commit a crime and incite public panic for their own benefits."Another video recorded in Tanzania's main city of Dar es Salaam shows a crowd marching a man down a dusty market street, pushing, grabbing and striking him and insisting he returns the genitalia, as the man pleads his innocence. The BBC Disinformation Unit verified similar videos of attacks in Mozambique and Kenya.Dozens of these 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.Many of those analysed by the BBC, including some showing mob violence, remain online. "We are reviewing the content ...