Ex ZANU PF Member Jealousy Mawarire Rebuke Themba Mliswa

By Shelton Muchena, England
Jealousy Mawarire’s sharp words cut across X like a blade, slicing into a debate that had been simmering for weeks. His message was directed at outspoken former legislator Temba Mliswa yet its impact rippled far beyond the two men, touching the broader political imagination of Zimbabweans watching from the sidelines.

Mawarire accused Mliswa of an “obsession” with attacking former army commander and Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, arguing that the fixation was having the opposite of its intended effect. Instead of damaging Chiwenga’s reputation, he said, Mliswa was inadvertently strengthening the general’s support base.

“Cde, your obsession with soiling Gen Chiwenga because ED is your brother is what's galvanising people around Gen Chiwenga,” Mawarire wrote in a post that quickly went viral.

He made it clear that his words were not an endorsement of sainthood, but a recognition of intent—his view of Chiwenga as a man attempting to chart a different path.

“Zimbabweans know who Gen Chiwenga is. They know he isn’t infallible. They also acknowledge he is not an angel,” Mawarire continued. “But they know, in him, there is a desire to correct what's wrong with our country, starting with stopping the criminals who have been looting national resources and assets.”

Mawarire asserted that Mliswa’s defence of President Emmerson Mnangagwa and prominent business figures accused by critics of corrupt dealings was revealing. He stressed that these were claims and perceptions held by many citizens not settled facts but maintained that they shaped public sentiment.

“When you come in defending these individuals and attacking Gen Chiwenga for advocating for the arrest of the same criminals,” he said, “it becomes clear that you are fronting particular interests.”

In his closing, Mawarire’s message shifted from critique to conviction.

“That's where our convergence with Gen Chiwenga is. He is one of us and in him we see ourselves. We are actually inseparable.”

Whether one views the exchange as political theatre, genuine conviction, or a battle for public perception, one thing is clear: the conversation around Chiwenga has intensified, pulling more voices into a debate that shows no signs of quieting.

And in this unfolding political storm, a single social-media thread has once again demonstrated the power of words to reshape momentum, challenge alliances, and ignite a nation’s attention.