Acie Lumumba

The truthfulness of his name has been doubted in Zimbabwe with some claiming he changed his name from just William Mutumanje to benefit from the association the Belgian Congo's Pan-Africanist first President Patrice Lumumba. Patrice Lumumba. However, Lumumba's own accounts of his childhood differ. An example is a media report in the Standard of 21 July 2013 where he was reported to have indicated that he was born in Hatfield. The same report indicates he is a first-generation Zimbabwean having been born to a Zimbabwean mother and father of Congolese origin. ^[4]. In 2016, Lumumba reported that he later discovered that the man he grew up knowing as his father was actually a stepfather and that his real father was a man from Chivi in Masvingo called Emilio Munemo, a top Brigadier General in Zimbabwe. His father died on 3 March 2019 and was declared a National Hero ^[2].

Lumumba was reported to have indicated that he doesn't drink or smoke and that he doesn't go to nightclubs

School / Education

No information was found on his Junior or High School, or any tertiary education.

Service/Career

Media and Broadcasting

He started his broadcasting career with Star FM, where he was appointed Head of Political Affairs. ^[3] He held a number of interviews with politicians and analysts about topical issues such as indigenization, elections, factionalism, and succession.^[5]

In 2018 Lumumba started his own internet media brand called #TLF (short for The Lumumba Files). Later he introduced #TLFDrive, an internet video show in which he interviews celebrity artists and other popular people in Zimbabwe while taking them for a drive. The show was sponsored by some reputable brands including Chicken Inn and Land Rover.

Political

In 2009, he was brought in by the Ministry of Youth, Indigenisation and Empowerment as special advisor to the then minister Saviour Kasukuwere. ^[5]
In 2012, he was appointed chairman of the Zimbabwe Youth Council Harare province and this allowed him to work closely with members of the community. ^[3] Lumumba seized the opportunity to set forth his political agenda as he began to amass support at the grassroots level resulting in his victory in the primary elections held in 2013.^[3]
Lumumba then won the Zanu PF primaries before the 2013 harmonized elections. ^[3] He became one of the youngest contestants in the elections at the age of 25. He was reported to have said that he believed that he was part of the new initiative by the ruling party led by president Robert Mugabe, to inject new and young blood into the revolutionary party.

In the 2013 Elections, (see A History of Zimbabwean Elections) Hatfield returned to Parliament:

• Tapiwa Mashakada of MDC–T with 9 031 votes or 64.62 percent,
• Acie Lumumba of Zanu PF with 4 246 votes or 30.38 percent,
• Linus Mushonga of MDC–N with 665 votes or 4.76 percent,
• 1 others with 33 votes or 0.24 percent.

Total 13 975 votes

Events

Dismissal from Steering Committee

After being fired as chairman of a Steering Committee on the Zimbabwe Youth Empowerment Strategy for Investment, Lumumba released a video on Facebook accusing the Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Minister Patrick Zhuwao of being corrupt.

Leaving Zanu-PF

On 20 May 2016, Lumumba had Zanu-PF. Lumumba said his reason was that party had failed the ordinary people. [Read More]

Influential

In a survey conducted by the Zimbabwe Institute of Research in 2014, Lumumba was identified as one of the most influential young people in the country.^[5]

Arrests

Assault Charges

In 2014, Lumumba was arrested by the police on assault charges. He was alleged to have assaulted a reveler in city pub after a dispute. ^[6]

Insulting Robert Mugabe with F-word

In late June 2016 at the launch of his political party, Viva Zimbabwe, Lumumba insulted Mugabe using the f-word. ^[7]

Forging a Vehicle Registration Document

In July 2016, Lumumba was arrested for allegedly forging a registration book for his mother’s vehicle, a Toyota Ipsum. It was alleged that Lumumba's mother asked him to sell the car on her behalf and he allegedly manufactured a fake registration before taking the vehicle to a car sale.

Involvement in Corruption

In May 2013, Lumumba, along with then Star FM Programmes Manager Tich Mataz, was suspended with immediate effect after an internal audit unearthed irregular transactions involving two companies owned by the two Hamtech Investments and Onesay Investments. ^[8]

Currency Deal Gone Wrong

In March 2018, Lumumba was arrested for alleged theft of $8 000 in a currency trading deal. It was reported that Lumumba met the complainant Graham Tineyi at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport. ^[9]

Zimbabwe Youth Council

In April 2016, Lumumba was appointed Chairman of the Steering Committee on the Zimbabwe Youth Empowerment Strategy for Investment. He was however fired following allegations of conflict of interest and misappropriating funds meant for the Zimbabwe Youth Council (ZYC). ^[10]

Expulsion From Viva Zimbabwe

Acie Lumumba was fired from VIVA for belittling other opposition parties and also because of his intentions to rejoin Zanu-PF. ^[11]

Honorary Doctorate Degree

In 2014, Lumumba along with nine other Zimbabweans were awarded doctorates by a little-known institution; International Institute of Philanthropy for "human studies". ^[12] It later emerged that the Harare-based institution was fake.^[13] Lumumba, however, continued to use the Doctor (Dr.) prefix on his name.

Chair of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development Communications task force

Lumumba was appointed as the chairman of the communication task force by the Minister of Finance Mthuli Ncube. Following his appointment, Lumumba hit the ground running and in a live video that went viral on the social media platforms, announced that Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe directors were feeding the black market with bond notes.

He went on to name Mirirai Chiremba, Norman Mataruka, Gresham Muradzikwa and Azvinandawa Saburi as the chief culprits behind parallel markets nefarious activities. This saw RBZ Governor Dr John Mangudya suspend the four to pave way for investigations.

Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube allegedly fired Acie Mutumanje Lumumba, as chairman of the Communications Taskforce in the ministry, three days after his appointment. The appointment of Lumumba drew brickbats from different sectors of society with questions raised over his credentials to run the high-profile portfolio in the ministry. Ncube was placed under pressure to cut Lumumba loose.

Accident Reports

In August 2020, Self-styled Communications strategist William Gerald Mutumanje (Also know as Acie Lumumba) denied reports that he was involved in a car accident on Sunday morning. Reports that were circulating on social media claim that Mutumanje's new Mercedes Benz had an accident and overturned. Said Mutumanje, "Hi friends, thank you for the concern. No I was not in an accident this morning." ^[14]

Further Reading

References