In a major move that could change the digital future of Zimbabwe, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has approved the entrance of Starlink, a high-speed satellite internet service owned by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, into the local market. This decision, while potentially game-changing for Zimbabwe’s long-neglected internet infrastructure, is also sparking fierce debate about transparency, accountability, and who really benefits from this “digital revolution.”

Starlink will operate in Zimbabwe through a sole local partner — IMC Communications (Pvt) Ltd — a company reportedly linked to controversial businessman Wicknell Chivayo. Chivayo is no stranger to scandal. He has been accused multiple times of abusing his proximity to power to secure massive government deals. With this new partnership, Chivayo now stands to profit hugely from one of the most important technological developments in Zimbabwe’s history.

Mnangagwa made the announcement on X (formerly Twitter), praising the deal as a major step forward for Zimbabwe. He hailed Starlink’s approval as part of his government’s vision to expand digital services and bridge the connectivity gap, especially in rural areas. In theory, it’s a move that could transform everything from online education and health care to remote work and digital entrepreneurship.

But many Zimbabweans aren’t celebrating just yet.

For one, critics are questioning why such a vital national project — involving internet access for millions — has been handed exclusively to a businessman with a long history of controversy and close political ties. Chivayo, who has been linked to corruption scandals including the failed Gwanda Solar Project and the recent $100 million ZEC tender mess, is now positioned as the middleman for a foreign tech giant that could dominate Zimbabwe’s future telecommunications.

Zimbabweans have seen this playbook before. Public resources and national projects are often handed to politically connected individuals who use them to build private empires while public services remain broken and underfunded. The fear is that this Starlink deal could follow the same path — with huge profits going to the politically connected, while ordinary citizens are left with high prices or limited access.

The concern isn’t about Starlink’s technology — that part is exciting. The company has a proven track record in over 70 countries and uses low-earth orbit satellites to provide fast, reliable internet, even in rural and hard-to-reach areas. In Zimbabwe, where internet costs are among the highest in the region and service is often painfully slow, Starlink could be a game-changer.

But that promise is only as strong as the integrity of the system delivering it.

IMC Communications’ role as Starlink’s exclusive partner puts them in a powerful position to set prices, determine access, and manage rollout. Without strict regulation and independent oversight, this could create a new monopoly — replacing old telecom giants with a new, politically protected middleman. That’s not digital freedom — that’s digital capture.

The licensing process itself has also raised red flags. Potraz, the country’s telecom regulator, approved Starlink through IMC Communications without clearly explaining how the partnership was chosen, what terms were agreed upon, or how public interests would be protected. In a country where public contracts are often hidden from view, the silence is worrying.

What’s worse is the growing feeling that digital infrastructure — one of the keys to future economic growth — is being used as another tool for patronage. While the country crumbles under economic hardship and political repression, a few connected elites continue to grow richer off the back of state-sanctioned deals.

The Starlink deal should have been a moment of national pride — a bold leap into the future. Instead, it risks becoming just another chapter in Zimbabwe’s long story of missed opportunities and captured potential.

As the rollout begins, civil society, tech professionals, and ordinary citizens must demand transparency. What are the terms of the deal? Who benefits from it? How will the government ensure affordable access for all, not just profits for the few? Will rural schools, clinics, and start-ups get real support, or will this become another tool for political control?

Zimbabwe doesn’t just need fast internet. It needs a fair, honest system that puts people first — not politicians and their business partners. Starlink’s arrival could be a game-changer. But only if Zimbabweans are the ones steering the change.