Olivia
Online
Tawanda Majoni
@Tawamaj
Investigative journalist, author and mentor. Founder of Information for Development Trust (IDT) that promotes public accountability. Corruption snitch
Harare
Joined May 2011
906 Following
1.5K Followers
620 Posts
Armed men accompanied by the Zimbabwean police forced their way into the offices of Prof Lovemore Madhuku’s political party, violently interrupting a meeting and attacking several participants, among them the constitutional lawyer, Prof Lovemore Madhuku.
This attack is deeply troubling for Zimbabwe as it reflects a dangerous erosion of democratic space and shows that even lawful constitutional engagement is no longer safe from intimidation and violence.
When armed individuals can storm a civic and political meeting with apparent impunity, it casts serious doubt on the state of the rule of law and the security of citizens exercising their constitutional rights.
Prof Madhuku is opposed to Constitutional Amendment No. 3, which seeks to extend President Mnangagwa’s term of office and change the presidential term from five to seven years. He has an active case before the Constitutional Court challenging this process.
Targeting him, as the state has now effectively done, sends a deeply disturbing message that this amendment will not be handled through open, democratic engagement where citizens are free to oppose or support it without fear.
When a constitutional lawyer with a matter before the highest court is assaulted and intimidated, it undermines the integrity of the judicial process itself. It shows that power is being asserted through coercion rather than constitutionalism.
Instead of allowing robust debate and lawful challenge, the authorities appear to be repeating the very mistakes that have, in the past, drawn damaging international scrutiny and weakened the country’s global standing.
Heavy handed tactics do not silence controversy, they amplify it. If this process continues in this manner, it will inevitably attract serious international attention and further erode confidence in Zimbabwe’s commitment to the rule of law and democratic governance.
These violent attacks even make it difficult for those who were supporting the amendment to continue doing so publicly, because they expose the reality that this process is not being advanced on the basis of legal principle or genuine constitutional reform.
Instead, it increasingly appears to be driven by intimidation, violence and repression aimed at forcing citizens into submission without honest, open debate.
When support for a constitutional amendment must be sustained through fear rather than persuasion, the legitimacy of that amendment is already compromised. A constitutional change of this magnitude should stand on the strength of its arguments, not on the silencing of critics.
Resorting to coercion does not strengthen the case for reform, it weakens it and deepens national division. If a constitution must be amended at gunpoint, then it is no longer reform, it is a declaration that power fears the very people it claims to represent. You don’t win hearts and minds through violence, you do so through engagement!
Commenting on the appointment, media expert Tawanda Majoni said Zimbabwe has every reason to celebrate the recognition given to Masuku as the move puts the country on the world map of broadcasting.
“We must all wish John a successful and rewarding stint as the coordinator. His recognition by UNESCO must also inspire our government, industry and other stakeholders to acknowledge and reward local talent, experience and contributions by our own veterans,” said Majoni.
Masuku was born on 10 December 1955 at Harare Hospital.
He attended Kudzanayi Primary School and Highfield Secondary in Harare where among his teachers were the late former education minister and historian Aeneas Chigwedere, and the late renowned soccer administrator, Ndumiso Gumede.
At Highfields Secondary, Masuku was a member of Young Writers and Debating Clubs.
He was also on the editorial board of the school newspaper, The Elephant.
He also wrote articles for Terera (Listen), the school magazine.
In 1974 Masuku was recruited by the late Amon Nyamambi and Dominic Mandizha into joining the Rhodesia Broadcasting Corporation in Salisbury.
Among the early black broadcasters he found at the station were Luke Mnkandla and John Matinde.
The team was later joined by other broadcasters who include Maguire Godzongere, Ray Chirisa, Clement Maphosa, Cephas Chimanga, Masimba Musarira and Lisbern Nasasara.
Masuku soon assumed extra duties as television presenter on a current affairs programme on TV Mashonaland.
At Independence in 1980, he was transferred to the News Department as a Sub-Editor and Newsreader.
In 1982, Masuku was tasked to establish Radio 4 now National FM under Rev Stanley Nyahwa who was deputised by Mavis Moyo.
He held posts of general-manager of ZBC’s four national radio stations and Controller Montrose ZBC Station in Bulawayo.
In the year 2000, Masuku clashed with the then Minister of Information and Publicity in the President’s Office, Professor Jonathan Moyo, when he said he supported the idea of opening up of the airwaves.
Moyo insulted Masuku, accusing him of sympathising with agendas of imperialists.
Masuku remained cool, but he was to become a victim of the purge at ZBC, through a special operation orchestrated by minister Moyo which saw the entire top brass at the national broadcaster and more than four hundred others being laid off in 2021.
Upon leaving ZBC, he was appointed Executive Director of an independent radio station Voice of the People (VOP) where he trained and worked with young journalism graduates from colleges in the country.
Masuku currently works as a media consultant, radio trainer and part time television presenter for an independent production house Medianet on a weekly programme Economic Forum aired on ZBC.
Masuku holds a Bachelor’s degree in Politics and Administration from the University of Zimbabwe, a Master of Philosophy in Journalism degree from Stellenbosch University, South Africa, and a diploma in Marketing from the London Chamber of Commerce (LCCI) UK.
He attended radio production courses at the BBC in London and at Radio Deutsche Welle in Cologne, Germany.
He has also attended broadcasting and media training programmes in Hungary, Singapore, and South Africa.
In 2013, Masuku was honoured with the Press Freedom Award by the Media Institute of Southern Africa.
Masuku, who is in the habit of writing, has published numerous articles about radio broadcasting trends in Africa.
From year 2000, he has been a correspondent for Radio World International through which he has contributed dozens of articles on radio programme content, management, technology, sustainability and ownership issues.
Masuku is the founder of BES, a Journalism and Media Studies college in Zimbabwe’s second capital, Bulawayo which has produced some of the prominent podcasters in the country.
In 2018, Masuku was appointed spokesperson of the Motlanthe Commission of Inquiry.
Who to follow
WATCH | This is heartbreaking to say the least. Some rural areas are finding it hard to access water because of Chinese water grabs.
📹 @HStvNews
@Informa34567899 @JobSikhala1 @BitiTendai These people simply lack the literacy to read the history they wrote with their own pens
Charred remains of Sapes Trust’s seminar room in Belgravia after a midnight petrol-bomb attack.
Burnt chairs, scorched walls, and shattered windows tell of the violence that struck hours before a scheduled anti-Agenda 2030 press conference led by @JobSikhala1 and @BitiTendai.
@ibbosnr despite the harrowing incident said: “But the Press Conference scheduled for 11 am today will proceed as planned, on the ashes of the destruction and in full view of the world and parallel with their SONA.
“Yes, it will be well; there is a tomorrow in Zimbabwe,” added @ibbosnr
TAGWIREI'S CASH-DRIVEN ASCENT RISKS TEARING ZANU PF APART
Controversial business mogul Kudakwashe Tagwirei, long the silent financier behind Zanu PF’s electoral machinery, has now leapt from the shadows into the spotlight, an entrance as dramatic as the volcanic metaphor once used by party stalwart Patrick Chinamasa.
With his recent appointment to Zanu PF’s Central Committee and the conspicuous resurrection of the controversial “Agenda 2030” campaign, Tagwirei is no longer content with merely bankrolling power, he now appears determined to wield it directly.
His emergence as a political force comes at a particularly volatile time for Zanu PF.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa is nearing the end of his final constitutional term, and the unspoken but undeniable succession race has begun to unsettle the party’s already fragile internal cohesion.
What makes Tagwirei’s political elevation especially contentious is the manner in which it has been executed, swiftly, opaquely, and without regard for the party’s own democratic norms.
His insertion into the Central Committee did not follow the expected grassroots processes but instead appeared to be a directive from above, raising serious concerns about the erosion of internal democracy and the growing dominance of elite interests within the party.
There is scant evidence of Tagwirei having participated in the long, incremental grind through the party ranks that is typically required for such a high-level post.
Until recently, he held no official political office and maintained a relatively low profile, despite his considerable influence as the party’s chief financier through Sakunda Holdings.
The party’s refusal to subject Tagwirei’s appointment to open scrutiny only deepens the perception that the ruling elite are now willing to sacrifice accountability and long-standing party protocols to serve narrow succession interests.
What is unfolding appears less like a meritocratic elevation and more like a boardroom deal repackaged as political strategy.
The revival of the Agenda 2030 slogan, once seen as a covert campaign to extend Mnangagwa’s rule, has only added fuel to the fire.
Tagwirei’s public endorsement of the slogan has raised fresh suspicions that he is part of a faction within the party working to ensure Mnangagwa’s legacy and protect post-presidency interests by engineering a pliable succession.
With reports circulating about Vice President Kembo Mohadi’s ailing health and potential exit from the political scene, insiders believe Tagwirei is being quietly positioned as his replacement, a move that would place him just a heartbeat away from the presidency.
However, his meteoric rise has not gone unchallenged.
Cabinet minister and Zanu PF deputy Women’s League chairperson Monica Mutsvangwa recently issued what many interpreted as a thinly veiled rebuke aimed at Tagwirei’s ascent.
Decrying the creeping influence of “kitchen cabinet politics” and warning of the corrosive impact of wealth on party structures, Mutsvangwa appeared to challenge the legitimacy of decisions being made outside the formal party organs.
Her dissent has sparked murmurs of retaliation from Tagwirei-aligned factions, an ominous sign in a party well known for punishing internal critics, particularly those who question the authority of presidential allies.
This unfolding power struggle reveals a party increasingly divided between those who rose through liberation credentials and those buoyed by economic clout.
If Tagwirei secures a place in the presidium, it could mark a turning point for Zanu PF, signalling a shift from the gun to the cheque book as the true currency of power.
More tellingly, it would show the party’s willingness to forsake its constitution, accountability, and liberation ideals in favour of personal succession ambitions.
The stakes could not be higher.
The Harare Wetlands Trust (HWT) has separately petitioned the Harare City Council, Environmental Management Agency (EMA) and the Upper Manyame Sub-Catchment Council (UMSCC) to immediately take measures within 48 hours to decontaminate Lake Chivero.
https://t.co/X6052bNonG
@ProfJNMoyo @FloydShivambu How do you get so eloquent talking about things that are not there? That aside, Floyd impresses me so much.
Watchdog petitions parliament to fight riverbed mining @@informa34567899 https://t.co/Y3zUxjrI0R
CRD welcomed govt heed to finally prohibit river bed mining through S1 188 of 2024 gazetted last friday.Petition is demanding govt action towards rehabilitation
The NewsHawks reporter Brenna Matendere won the Chairperson's Award - Best Reporter on Public Interest Issues at the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission Media Awards this evening. Matendere won the award for an investigation that highlighted operations of a cement manufacturing company in Redcliff that was exposing residents to dust. Some residents acquired an incurable lung disease - silicosis - after inhaling fine dust over a long period. More than 20 Redcliff residents died of silicosis. The investigation tracked victims and relatives of those killed by the disease. After publication of the story, the company started correcting the wrong doing under the supervision of Kwekwe District Development Coordinator (DDC) and relevant government agents such as EMA.
Hyper-local initiatives have awakened to the increasing dangers of DISINFORMATION. 3 community-based organisations based in Manicaland province, Zimbabwe, are calling on government and other relevant stakeholders to incorporate content on disinformation into formal school curricula.
@MeridianIntl @zzidawu @Tawamaj @taundoro @MoPSEZim @FungaiNhai98743 @StateDept @Sizzle76 @MildretMuzanec4
https://t.co/3BDOBRYkrs
"Government Interference In Harare Demolitions Threatens Rule Of Law" https://t.co/lPNOp5gAeU via @WeArePindula
The Young Entrepreneurs Trust of Zimbabwe (YETZ) recently went out on an outreach programme in rural Penhalonga, Manicaland, to educate residents on the scourge of Disinformation. Here, Weston Makoni from the area reflects on the meeting.
@MeridianIntl @Sizzle76 @faintondlovu
In this severally forwarded video, a Zimbabwean lady displays apples from a packet sampled from an unidentified supermarket where it appears the fruits were pierced and then patched up with stickers. The lady does not identify herself either. so the source is unknown
https://t.co/UmAnuQfrK8
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