Joseph Chinotimba has become the latest ZANU-PF heavyweight to lose primary elections after being trounced by Mudekunye, who received 7,890 votes, followed by Chimbare with 2,870 votes, while Chinotimba was a distant third with 1,356 votes. Chinotimba is known for his controversial views, clownish statements, sense of humor, and outspoken personality. He was born on August 1, 1953, in Buhera, a rural district in the eastern region of Zimbabwe.
Chinotimba rose to national prominence in the early 2000s as a vocal supporter of then-President Robert Mugabe’s land reform program. He became the chairman of the War Veterans Association, which played a key role in supporting the program by forcibly evicting white farmers from their land. Chinotimba was also involved in bloody and violent clashes with opposition supporters during this period.
In 2008, Chinotimba was elected to Zimbabwe’s parliament as a member of the ZANU-PF party, representing the Buhera South constituency. He has since been re-elected multiple times and has become known for his confrontational and sometimes controversial statements in parliament.
Chinotimba is a divisive figure in Zimbabwean politics, with many regarding him as a populist demagogue who appeals to the country’s rural poor. However, his critics argue that his political positions are often inconsistent, and he has a history of making inflammatory remarks that stoke ethnic tensions and promote violence.
In May 2022, he accused President ED of trying to impose Mr. Mudekunye on his seat at a local meeting in Buhera, saying that he has done a lot for the ungrateful people of Buhera who were conniving with President ED to remove him from his seat. After the clip went viral, he later apologized to President ED, and the two buried their differences, at least at that moment. Now it shows that Chinotimba was aware that he would surely get a strong primary challenge.
