Zimbabwe’s state media has once again been exposed for lying to the public. In a shocking act of media manipulation, government-owned broadcasters were caught spreading false information about the Citizens for a Clean Country (CCC) rally, while inflating numbers at a ZANU PF event held the same day. These lies are not just embarrassing — they are dangerous to our democracy.
At the CCC rally, which was held peacefully and attended by an estimated 10,000 people according to eyewitnesses, state media shamelessly claimed that only 1,000 people were present. This deliberate underreporting was clearly aimed at downplaying the CCC’s growing support and influence. It was not a mistake. It was a calculated move to discredit the opposition and mislead the public.
On the other side, the same state media ran glowing headlines about a ZANU PF rally, claiming that over 50,000 people attended. Independent reporters and people at the scene, however, say the actual number was closer to 5,000 — and even that figure included government workers and schoolchildren who were forced to attend. This is a clear case of propaganda being used to prop up a ruling party that is losing touch with ordinary Zimbabweans.
This stark difference in reporting shows one thing very clearly: state media is not interested in the truth. It is not interested in fair reporting. It is a mouthpiece for the ruling elite, used to promote ZANU PF and attack its critics. By twisting the truth, it betrays the public and weakens our democracy.
This is not the first time state media has been caught lying. For years, they have suppressed dissenting voices, ignored scandals involving powerful officials, and refused to give fair coverage to the opposition. They exist not to inform the public but to protect those in power. In a country where free speech is already under threat, this kind of manipulation is dangerous and unacceptable.
The lies about the CCC rally and the ZANU PF event are just symptoms of a bigger problem. Zimbabwe’s media environment is broken. The people can no longer trust state television or newspapers to give them honest information. When citizens cannot rely on their media, they are left in the dark — and democracy dies in darkness.
It is time for civil society groups, independent journalists, and ordinary citizens to fight back. We must demand media reform. We must demand that ZBC and other state outlets start serving the people, not the party. We must support independent media and citizen journalism that tells the truth without fear or favour.
The CCC rally showed that there is hunger for change in Zimbabwe. The people are tired of lies, corruption, and poverty. That is why so many showed up, even in the face of intimidation and lies. And that is why the state media felt the need to lie — because the truth scares them.
In a free country, the media should be a watchdog, not a lapdog. It should expose lies, not spread them. It should amplify the people’s voices, not silence them. What happened last week was an insult to every Zimbabwean who believes in truth, fairness, and democracy.
Enough is enough. The people deserve better. We must build a media that speaks for the people, not for politicians. Until that happens, the lies will continue — and so must our resistance.