Political Reporter-Zanu PF Mugabe era youth leader Kudzai Chipanga, has appeared before a Rusape magistrate to face charges of theft involving agricultural inputs valued at US$11,000.
Chipanga gained fame as a vocal and controversial figure in Mugabe’s regime and used his position to intimidate political opponents and citizens.He became one of the most visible faces of the Zanu PF youth league, often issuing fiery statements and leading campaigns against perceived detractors of Mugabe’s rule.
In the final days of Mugabe’s presidency in late 2017, Chipanga was a key player in the factional battles within the ruling party, aligning himself with the G40 faction led by Grace Mugabe.
The faction sought to elevate Grace as Mugabe’s successor, setting them on a collision course with then-Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the military.
However, the tide turned during the November 2017 military coup that ended Mugabe’s 37-year rule.
Chipanga, who had publicly denounced the army and sided with the embattled G40, found himself humiliated when the military detained him.Images of a subdued and apologetic Chipanga reading a prepared statement in army custody circulated widely, symbolising the fall of Mugabe’s loyalists.
Chipanga avoided prison time despite his earlier defiance in the coup’s aftermath, which surprised many who had witnessed his brazen behaviour.
The theft charges now before the court mark yet another chapter in his checkered career.
He was granted $400 bail, and Chipanga awaits the court’s determination on his alleged involvement in the theft.
