harare24dmin The Zimbabwean government’s Communications unit demonstrated its alertness and communication discipline after swiftly flushing out a rogue social media account falsely claiming to represent government policy using Kuda Tagwirei’s name.
The account was swiftly identified, discredited, and neutralized underscoring the effectiveness of the nation’s state communications apparatus.
The account, which falsely implied that Kudakwashe Tagwirei, Chairman of the Land Tenure Implementation Committee and an Elder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, was usurping the vision and authority of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, was immediately flagged by high-ranking officials for disseminating dangerous and divisive misinformation.
Deputy Chief Secretary for Presidential Communications, Mr. George Charamba, responded within minutes, delivering a scathing rebuttal that set the tone for the swift government response.
“IT IS THIS KIND OF COMMUNICATION I JUST FIND DISGUSTING!!! The Land Tenure Programme is a Programme of the Government of Zimbabwe led by President ED Mnangagwa. He appoints persons to implement it; those persons neither own nor lead it. They merely implement it to the direction of the Principal,” Charamba stated emphatically.
He decried the deliberate attempt to create friction between the President and Mr. Tagwirei, warning those behind such antics against exploiting government branding such as the Coat of Arms for illegitimate purposes.
“Why try and draw a wedge between the President and Cde Tagwirei through such reckless communication done under a COURT OF ARMS of the Zimbabwe Government? Kana musingazvigoni bvunzai mhani!”
Within three minutes, Mr. Charamba had personally contacted Mr. Tagwirei, who categorically denied any connection to the offending account or other similar pages masquerading as his representatives.
“I have just been on the phone with Elder Tagwirei. He CATEGORICALLY DENIES ANY LINK with accounts pretending association with him, including the one calling itself Land Tenure Programme, and another calling itself Friends of Elder Tagwirei,” Charamba reported in a follow-up statement.
He added that Tagwirei shared his suspicion that these accounts were being run by crooks and/or anti-ZANU PF political activists, whose aim is to either gain political mileage or sow discord within the ruling party.
“They will achieve neither!” declared Charamba.
Also weighing in was ZANU PF Deputy Secretary for Security, Cde Tendai Chirau, who supported Tagwirei’s position and sought to clarify the confusion over the use of the title “Elder.”
“When I saw that post, I consulted with the Chairperson of the Land Implementation Committee, Mr. Kudakwashe Tagwirei. He clarified that he neither runs nor has control over that X (formerly Twitter) account. The individual managing the account refers to himself as ‘Elder,’ a title used exclusively within the context of their church. I have never heard Mr. Tagwirei refer to himself as ‘Elder’ outside that context.”
Cde Chirau emphasized that the Land Tenure Implementation Committee is a government program operating under the direct guidance of President Emmerson Mnangagwa and that any attempt to misrepresent this fact is both mischievous and misleading.
The surge of pseudo-patriotic social media accounts attempting to portray Mr. Tagwirei as an ambitious political figure seeking the presidency has drawn sharp criticism from insiders who know him personally and professionally.
“Mr. Tagwirei harbours no such ambitions,” a senior official noted. “He has categorically stated that there is no vacancy at State House and publicly supports Resolution Number 1 of the ZANU PF Congress, which encourages President Mnangagwa to remain in office until 2030.”
A deeply spiritual man, Elder Tagwirei is referred to by that title within Seventh-day Adventist circles, a designation that has unfortunately been misunderstood and politicized by those seeking to stir confusion.
Despite titles ranging from Elder KT, Madyira, to Dr. Tagwirei, the man himself is unmoved by honorifics. Sources close to him describe him as results-oriented, mission-driven, and singularly focused on delivering on targets set by the President.
“Kuda Tagwirei knows his place and his role,” one official remarked. “Presidential ambition is not part of that role. Overzealous pseudo-patriots must refrain from creating fictional ambitions or using his name for personal gain or digital clout.”
This episode stands as a powerful reminder of the discipline and cohesion within Zimbabwe’s state communication system—able to swiftly detect, engage, and correct misinformation before it festers into a national distraction.
The message is clear: the government is watching, and it will not tolerate fake news—especially when it’s aimed at distorting policy or undermining unity.
