The ruling Zanu PF’s Youth League has ordered Harare businessman Wicknell Chivayo to stop denigrating the image of President Emmerson Mnangagwa saying audios being widely circulated on social media allegedly quoting him indicating that he is in full control of the government are unfortunate, regrettable and mischievous.
In a statement signed by National Youth League information secretary, Phillipa Mukoko, the furious Zanu PF members said Chivayo was not a ruling party activist and as a result, he should refrain from tarnishing the image of the president.
“Whilst the Youth League appreciates donations that Mr Chivhayo has been giving to the members of our society in his own capacity as an ordinary citizen, and although we do not know the source of his income, let it be firmly known that as the vanguard of ZANU PF we will not just sit and watch the name of our most revered leader being tarnished by such malcontents for their own self-aggrandizement.
“Our President has on open-door policy which must never be abused. We have realized that Mr Wicknell Chivhayo has abused his access to the leadership. Let it be known by whoever concerned that our tried and tested leader is a statesman of the highest caliber, integrity, standing and repute. The Youth League, therefore, calls upon Mr Chivhayo and his accomplices to desist from using the name of our President in their nefarious shenanigans.”
The Youth League urged relevant authorities to take immediate measures to stop Chivayo from making further claims noting that this is designed “to protect our revered leader and the national interests of our motherland, Zimbabwe.”
Chivayo has been further warned to stay away from ruling party politics and to stop circulating a video in which he claims to have almost the status of a president.
“We sternly warn him to abstain from abusing Party and Government structures for his brute personal agenda … The League wishes to put it on record that Mr Chivhayo does not hold any influential position in the Party that warrant him to have a delegation receiving him at the airport. Such an arrangement is a preserve for the President and Head of State only.”
The Youth League claims that Chivayo posted a video purporting that he was received amid pomp and fanfare at the Joshua Nkomo International Airport recently together with Mnangagwa and some senior government officials.
Chivayo has distanced himself from all audios posted on social media in which he claims that he is “very close” to the president and is capable of getting all government contracts without any problem.
In a statement, he said, “I categorically refute, deny and dismiss with contempt, recording the voice messages in question. For the avoidance of any doubt I have never, at any material time, recorded the alleged voice messages, neither have I transmitted such to anyone. I therefore unequivocally distance and totally dissociate myself from these unauthentic voice messages. I have reason to believe that these recordings were generated through sophisticated technology, all with the fraudulent intention of creating false alarm and despondency.”
He claimed that the content and character of the alleged voice messages “is however consistent with a sustained attack on my character and standing as a businessman by two excitable individuals who have recently made outrageous demands for certain payments from me without any legal or contractual basis of doing so.”
The two individuals are Mike Chimombe and Moses Mpofu, who were unreachable for comment as they were not responding to calls on their mobile phones.”
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