Zanu PF’s Patrick Chinamasa has done it again. In a speech dripping with distortion, he recently claimed that Mbuya Nehanda—Zimbabwe’s iconic spirit medium and anti-colonial heroine—fought for Zanu PF’s cause. He even went as far as to say that attacks on President Emmerson Mnangagwa today are the same as the colonial persecution of Nehanda and Sekuru Kaguvi. This is not only false but deeply insulting to the memory of those who genuinely fought for Zimbabwe’s liberation.
This is not the first time Chinamasa has twisted history to suit Zanu PF’s narrative. In 2020, he outrageously compared Mnangagwa to Mbuya Nehanda. The goal is clear: by painting Zanu PF as the natural heir of the liberation struggle, they try to silence critics and make their corrupt rule look like some kind of patriotic duty. But history tells a different story.
Mbuya Nehanda fought against foreign rule and injustice. Zanu PF, under Mnangagwa, has brought Zimbabwe under another kind of oppression—one driven not by outsiders, but by a local elite that steals from its own people, silences dissent, and destroys livelihoods. If Nehanda were alive today, she would be horrified by the violence, poverty, and fear that define our country under Zanu PF rule.
Chinamasa’s remarks are not just political spin—they are part of a dangerous strategy. By turning national heroes into party property, Zanu PF hopes to wrap itself in the flag and claim that anyone who opposes them is unpatriotic. In reality, it is Zanu PF that has betrayed the values of the liberation struggle. People fought for freedom, dignity, and land—not for one-party dictatorship, stolen elections, or the rule of the gun.
The comparison between colonial violence and social media criticism is laughable. Nehanda was hanged for resisting real, brutal oppression. Today’s Zanu PF leaders are being called out online for looting public funds, rigging elections, and failing to fix the economy. Calling that “oppression” is an insult to those who truly suffered under colonialism. Zanu PF has had more than 40 years in power. If things are still bad, it’s not because of tweets or sanctions—it’s because of their own misrule.
Even more disturbing is how Chinamasa has used Sengezo Tshabangu’s actions to push this false narrative. Tshabangu, who has been widely seen as working with Zanu PF to destroy the opposition CCC from within, is now being described as “unknowingly helping the revolution.” This is how far Zanu PF is willing to go—turning betrayal into heroism, lies into legacy.
But Zimbabweans are not fools. We know the difference between a genuine freedom fighter and a politician who hides behind history to justify failure. We know that the legacy of Mbuya Nehanda belongs to the people, not to a party. And we know that comparing a brutal colonial execution to online criticism is a desperate attempt to escape accountability.
The truth is simple: Zanu PF is not the liberation movement of old. It is a tired, corrupt regime that clings to power by rewriting history and silencing the truth. No amount of slogans or statues will change the reality on the ground—poverty, fear, and anger.
If Patrick Chinamasa wants to honour Mbuya Nehanda, he should start by respecting the rights and voices of ordinary Zimbabweans. He should stop twisting history to protect a regime that has long lost its moral compass. And he should understand that true patriotism means standing with the people, not with power.