Reports states that social media apps like WhatsApp, Twitter, Instagram  and Facebook are reportedly blocked in Zambia as the country is going for the general elections. The news of blocking the usage was reported by digital rights organization Access Now and Internet monitor NetBlocks. The block, affecting state-owned internet providers and other private networks, could be cutting off voters from a vital form of communication during a contentious election.

Lusaka Times, a local Zambian news organization, writes that officials from Zambia’s Ministry of Information and Broadcast Services considered shutting down internet access in the lead-up to election day, citing a desire to stop the spread of election misinformation. A dramatic decrease in election day internet traffic from WhatsApp, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook spotted by NetBlocks seems to confirm that the government moved forward with that plan.

Zambia’s presidential election, pitting incumbent President Edgar Lungu against opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema, has already been marred by violence, according to reports from Reuters, prompting a military crackdown from the current government. Polls closed ,but votes are still allowed to be cast for anyone still in line.

Typically information promoting voters’ security and safety would be disseminated on social media and messaging apps — everything from voting wait times to instances of potential voter fraud — but now voters on affected networks in Zambia are having to turn to VPNs to communicate.

However, the Zambian government, via its Information and Broadcasting Services Permanent Secretary, Amos Malupenga, came out to deny the reports, calling them “malicious.” Nevertheless, he mentioned that the government would not tolerate abuse of the internet and if any mischief occurred, there would be no hesitation to take appropriate measures.

“The government, therefore, expects citizens to use the internet responsibly. But if some people choose to abuse the internet to mislead and misinform, the government will not hesitate to invoke relevant legal provisions to forestall any breakdown of law and order as the country passes through the election period,” Malupenga said.

Zambia isn’t the first African country to witness this during an election as social media restrictions and internet shutdowns are now a recurring theme for most African states.