ZANUPF has cautioned against equating wealth, religious influence, or any other form of personal power with qualification for top leadership positions within the party.

Speaking to the media at the party’s headquarters in Harare yesterday, spokesperson Ambassador Christopher Mutsvangwa emphasised that advancement in the liberation movement is grounded in political maturity, ideological commitment, personal sacrifice, and a proven record of serving the people, rather than financial standing.

It is difficult to comprehend how a national broadcaster of ZiFM’s stature, on a programme hosted by the equally high-profile MisRed, could designate Fadzayi Mahere as Zimbabwean of the Year. In 2025, her public profile has been defined less by constructive national contribution and more by a sustained pattern of antagonism towards, and disparagement of, the country’s leadership.

This raises serious questions about the standards applied in reaching such a determination. What objective criteria were employed? On what empirical basis was the selection made? And to whom, exactly, does this outcome purport to speak? It is far from clear that the decision reflects the views, priorities, or lived realities of Zimbabwe as a whole.