THE STATE STRIKES ITS OWN MOUTHPIECE
In Zimbabwe, abuse of power no longer hides in dark corners. It now walks through offices in broad daylight, issues orders without shame, and punishes people on the basis of personal grudges. The latest case involving Ndavaningi “Nick” Mangwana and Zimpapers group editorial executive Elias Mambo exposes a rotten culture at the heart of the state, where public institutions are treated like private battlefields for petty men with political influence.
According to well placed sources, Mangwana has launched a personalised witch hunt against Mambo not because of professional misconduct proven through any fair process, but because of Mambo’s close links to former Information minister Jenfan Muswere. That alone should alarm every Zimbabwean. It means loyalty, factional history, and personal relationships now matter more than rules, evidence, and procedure. This is not governance. It is vendetta dressed up as administration.
What makes this case even more disturbing is that Mangwana reportedly admitted he had no evidence that Mambo leaked a story about ZBC to the Zimbabwe Independent. No evidence. Just suspicion. In any lawful and professional institution, suspicion is not enough to destroy a person’s name, threaten their career, or trigger disciplinary action. But in Mnangagwa’s Zimbabwe, suspicion becomes a weapon whenever those in power want to settle scores.
When that weak accusation could not stand, another one emerged. Mambo was then accused of intimidating colleagues during an editorial diary meeting on February 24. Yet even that charge reeks of manipulation. Mambo had reportedly made it clear in that meeting that he would not be involved in stories about Muswere because of conflict of interest arising from friendship. That is not the conduct of a reckless man. That is the conduct of someone trying to act professionally. But professionalism means nothing when a political execution has already been planned.
What followed was a disgraceful abuse of office. Barely an hour after the diary meeting, Mangwana summoned Mambo to Munhumutapa Building, together with Zimpapers chief executive William Chikoto, and informed him that he would be immediately suspended. Due process only came later. In other words, punishment came first, procedure later. That is not discipline. That is a political ambush.
This outrageous interference also lays bare the lie that public media institutions operate independently. If a permanent secretary can insert himself into an internal editorial matter, summon a senior media executive, silence him, and impose suspension before formal process is followed, then Zimpapers is not a media house in any meaningful democratic sense. It is a frightened extension of the ruling establishment, crawling under the weight of state control and internal informers. Even ministry officials reportedly admitted such involvement was strange, improper, and far outside acceptable governance norms.
The picture becomes even uglier when one considers who Mambo is. He is not a political novice dropped into the newsroom by chance. He worked for the Zimbabwe Independent as an investigative journalist, founded Zim Morning Post, and even established a newspaper in Malawi. After joining Zimpapers in 2024, he rose through the ranks and was officially appointed Group Editorial Executive on January 1, 2026, overseeing editorial operations across print, broadcast, and digital platforms. Yet all that experience and contribution can be swept aside in a moment because one powerful man has a personal issue.
This is the Zimbabwe ZANU PF has built. A country where institutions are hollow, rules are optional, and power is deeply vindictive. Today it is Elias Mambo. Tomorrow it will be someone else. Until Zimbabwe is freed from this poisonous culture of political interference, no office, no profession, and no citizen will ever be safe.
