A senior government official has dismissed suggestions that President Emmerson Mnangagwa ever identified himself as King Munhumutapa, calling such claims baseless and impractical.
The response comes after Setfree Mafukidze, a former ZANU PF activist, posted remarks on social media speculating that the self-declared King Munhumutapa, Timothy Chiminya, might eventually “hand over the throne” to President Mnangagwa.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Mafukidze expressed skepticism over the situation, describing it as bizarre. He mocked what he called a “Munhumutapa circus,” sarcastically likening it to a fictional political drama:
“First we hear ED is being hailed as Munhumutapa. Then a man claims to be the King himself, drafts a constitution, and apparently receives approval from the Ministry of Justice. According to this document, elections are optional and the Prime Minister answers only to the King. Is this a democracy or some Harare-based Game of Thrones spinoff?”
Responding to the growing speculation, Ndavaningi Mangwana, Secretary for Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, made it clear that President Mnangagwa has never claimed any association with the Munhumutapa throne.
Mangwana emphasized that while some supporters have drawn symbolic comparisons between Mnangagwa’s leadership and that of the ancient empire, such sentiments are expressions of admiration rather than official positions. He stated:
“Timothy Chiminya’s claim to be Munhumutapa is not only implausible, it’s fundamentally flawed. Historical context aside, he appears to be a deeply troubled individual. The Munhumutapa Empire spanned parts of five modern nations and became irrelevant even before colonial times. Attempting to restore it would mean undoing the constitutional frameworks of those countries.”
He added that President Mnangagwa has never endorsed any such revival, and public references to the ancient title are simply symbolic, not literal.
This clarification follows earlier remarks made by Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, who publicly referred to President Mnangagwa as “Munhumutapa” during a National Chiefs Council meeting in December 2021.
At the time, Chiwenga defended Mnangagwa against criticism from Chief Murinye, stating:
“We have one Munhumutapa—President Mnangagwa—and we give him our full respect. What Chief Murinye did will be investigated, and if found at fault, appropriate disciplinary action will be taken. As long as I live, no one touches him.”
Chiwenga also criticized Chief Murinye’s comments as irresponsible, comparing them to the behavior of someone under the influence of drugs.
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