Zanu PF official and Mugabe Youth Leader Kudzanai Chipanga in hot soup again, arrested for stealing from President Mnangagwa

Kudzanai Chipanga, a prominent figure in Zanu-PF’s youth wing during the Mugabe era, found himself back in the spotlight this week, but this time facing serious charges.

The former Zanu-PF Youth Secretary appeared before Rusape Magistrates Court on Tuesday, charged with the theft of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Pfumvudza agricultural inputs valued at US$11,200.

Chipanga’s appearance before Rusape regional magistrate Barbra Mateko marked a significant development in the case. The prosecution, led by Event Dhliwayo, detailed the allegations against Chipanga.

On November 27th, the Department of Agriculture Research and Extension (AREX) in Makoni District received a substantial delivery of agricultural inputs – 200x50kg bags of ZFC Compound D fertiliser, 100x5kg bags of SC649 seed maize, and 500 packets of vegetable seed – from the Grain Marketing Board Rusape Depot. These inputs were intended for distribution in Ward 38, Headlands, under the government’s Pfumvudza programme.

The inputs were transported to Lawrencedale Primary School in a MAN truck (AFJ 6795) driven by Trust Mangwanda. The school was the venue for a Zanu-PF star rally. Following the rally, Dhliwayo alleges that Chipanga, along with three accomplices – Innocent Magutakuona, Michael Musekiwa, and Julius Chipfupa, who remain at large – informed Noria Gashu of AREX that they would distribute the inputs, falsely claiming to have already sourced them. This misrepresentation forms the basis of the theft charges against Chipanga.

The court heard that Chipanga was represented by Mutare lawyer Chris Ndlovu of Gonese and Ndlovu Legal Practitioners. Despite the seriousness of the allegations, the prosecution did not oppose bail. This contrasts sharply with the treatment often meted out to opposition members, who frequently face extended pre-trial detention, sometimes for periods exceeding 12 months.

Magistrate Mateko granted Chipanga bail of US$400, with conditions. He is required to reside at his Wakefield Farm in Headlands, report to Rusape Rural Police Station every Monday and Friday, and refrain from interfering with witnesses or the ongoing investigation.

Chipanga’s past is inextricably linked to the tumultuous final years of Robert Mugabe’s presidency. He rose to prominence as a vocal and often controversial figure within Zanu-PF, using his position to intimidate political opponents and ordinary citizens alike. He became a highly visible member of the Zanu-PF youth league, frequently issuing inflammatory statements and leading campaigns against those perceived as critical of Mugabe’s rule.

In the lead-up to the November 2017 coup that ended Mugabe’s 37-year reign, Chipanga played a significant role in the internal power struggles within the ruling party. He aligned himself with the G40 faction, which sought to install Grace Mugabe as her husband’s successor.

This placed him in direct opposition to then-Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the military. His outspoken denunciation of the army during the coup led to his detention. Images of a chastened Chipanga reading a prepared statement in army custody were widely circulated, a stark visual representation of the downfall of Mugabe’s loyalists.

Despite his earlier defiance, Chipanga surprisingly avoided imprisonment after the coup. The current theft charges represent another chapter in his complex and often controversial career.

The court will ultimately determine his guilt or innocence in this latest case, but the charges themselves underscore the ongoing scrutiny faced by even the most prominent figures within Zimbabwean politics. His bail hearing concluded with the matter being adjourned to January 30th, leaving Chipanga to await the court’s decision on his alleged involvement in the theft of the Pfumvudza inputs.