Tobaiwa Mudede

Children

In December 2021, Mudede's son Solomon was sentenced to 70 hours of community service at Chitungwiza General Hospital after he was found guilty of stealing a tractor wheel and a car battery from his father on May 11 2021, and then trying to sell these for cash.

Solomon was initially sentenced to four months when he appeared before magistrate Noticia Shenje, but she suspended two months for three years on the condition that he does not commit a similar offence and the other two months were commuted to 70 hours of community service.^[2]

School / Education

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

Service / Career

Mudede was the Registrar General after Zimbabwe's first post independence election in 1985.^[3] Up until the formation of ZEC in 2004, Mudede was responsible for the administration of the voting process.^[4]

Events

Books

Tobaiwa Mudede co- authored with Richard Hondo a book called “Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and Population Control Drugs in Developing Countries The book, Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and Population Control Drugs in Developing Countries was launched on 11 March 2016 following intense media debate by advocates of GMOs, pro-birth control drugs on one side and those calling the use of traditional birth control methods on the other side. The co-authors of the book believes that promotion of birth control drugs and the call for smaller populations by the West was a deliberate policy to cause diseases and weakening developing countries’ national defense capacities.^[5]

Involvement in Zanu Pf Corruption

Mudede was reported to have been linked with the controversial Rotina Mavhunga, who is a traditional healer and a spirit medium who claimed that diesel was oozing from Maningwa Hills (in Chinhoyi) in 2007 . It alleged that Mudede harboured her, despite the fact that the police were looking for her.^[6]

Voter Rigging

Mudede and his tenure as Registrar General since Zimbabwe’s first post independence election in 1985 received a lot of speculation. Opposition and civil society activists alike accused him of playing a key role in rigging elections ever since he has been in charge of the voters roll.^[7] It was alleged that Mudede manipulated the voters' roll to help Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front win the 2013 harmonised elections.^[8][9]

Chinhoyi Diesel from rock

He is alleged to have been the force behind the Rotina Mavhunga diesel from rock incidents in 2007.

Farm Mechanisation Scheme

In July 2020, Tobaiwa Mudede was listed, in the BSR of 18 July 2020, as a beneficiary in the 2007 RBZ Farm Mechanisation Scheme, as a result of the Fast Track Land Reform Programme.

The data is analysed by recipients origin:.

• Mashonaland provinces had the most beneficiaries, both in terms of numbers and value.
  

Mashonaland East got US$47,5 million,
Mashonaland West US$44,7 million
Mashonaland Central had US$34,2 million.

• Two Matebeleland provinces had a combined total of US$13,9 million.
• Masvingo US$26,4 million,
• Manicaland US$18 million
• Midlands US$14 million.

Tobaiwa Mudede is listed under the thematic group “Political Referees: Commissions”. According to the list, he was given two loans worth a total of US$250,896. ^[10]

Stance on birth control

Mudede has been on record for telling government to ban the use of contraceptives. He co-authored a book with Richard Hondo on population control.^[11] Tobaiwa Mudede indicated that the West was promoting the use of dangerous birth control measures to de-populate developing countries and advocated for the use of traditional methods of contraception.^[12] Mudede's view caused debate in the media and parliament, with the Minister of Health and Child Welfare Dr David Parirenyatwa advocating for the use of condoms as a birth control measure and to curb the transmission of sexually transmitted infections and HIV.^[13][14]

Addition to the US Sanctions List

In 2014 Tobaiwa Mudede was added onto the US Sanctions list.^[15]

Retired

In September 2018, President Emmerson Mnangagwa appointed new permanent secretaries, reassigned others and retired some others, under the Second Republic.

• Deputy Chief Secretary-Presidential Communications: former Secretary for Information, Media and Broadcasting Services George Charamba,
• Secretary to the Service Commissions: Ambassador Jonathan Wutawunashe.
• Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services: TBA.
• Permanent Secretary, Primary and Secondary Education: TBA.
• Permanent Secretary for Defence and War Veterans: retained by Martin Rushwaya
• Permanent Secretary for Finance and Economic Development: George Tongesayi Guvamatanga
• Permanent Secretary for Energy and Power Development: Gloria Magombo.
• Permanent Secretary for Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprise Development: Rudo Chitiga.
• Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage: Melusi Matshiya.
• Permanent Secretary for Transport and Infrastructural Development: Amos Marawa.
• Permanent Secretary for Local Government, Public Works and National Housing: George Magosvongwe.
• Permanent Secretary for Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development: Fanuel Tagwira.
• Permanent Secretary for Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate: Ringson Chitsiko (retained).
• Permanent Secretary for Health and Child Care: Brigadier-General Gerald Gwinji (retained).
• Permanent Secretary for Industry and Commerce: Mavis Sibanda
• Permanent Secretary for Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industry: Munesushe Munodawafa (moving from the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development).
• Permanent Secretary for Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare: James Manzou.
• Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs and International Trade: Judith Kateera replacing Joey Bimha.
• Permanent Secretary for Mines and Mining Development Information: Onesimo Moyo.
• Permanent Secretary for Communication Technology and Courier Services: Samuel Kundishora (retained).
• Permanent Secretary for Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation: Thokozile Chitepo (former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry).
• Permanent Secretary for Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs: Virginia Mabiza (retained).

President Mnangagwa had also re-assigned senior officials who included permanent secretaries, principal directors and equivalent grades to other duties.

Senior Officials: Ray C Ndhlukula, Pretty Sunguro, Washington Mbizvo, Ambassador Stuart Comberbach, Ambassador Nicholas Kitikiti, Willard Manungo, Prince Mupazviriho and Desire Sibanda.

Officials: Abigail Shoniwa, Ambassador Grace Mutandiro, Sibusisiwe Zembe, Ambassador Mary Mubi, Ozias Hove, Clemence Masango, Eghpha Jokomo, Simon Masanga, Eria Phiri, Clifford Matorera, Innocent Tizora.

Retired: Ngoni Masoka, Partson Mbiriri, Ambassador Joey Bimha, Ambassador Boniface Chidyausiku, Tobaiwa Mudede, Ambassador Kelebert Nkomani, Ethel Mlalazi, Anne Knuth and Valentine Vera.

^[16]

Theft Allegations

On 20 May 2021, Mudede appeared before a magistrate charged with theft of irrigation equipment and kitchen utensils worth US$10,000 from a woman he had evicted from a farm.

The court heard that Mudede had allegedly used Support Unit officers from Rhodesville Police Station in Harare to carry out the eviction, bragging that he was absolutely untouchable given his high office.

Mudede stole the property from Jacqueline Mukanganyama, with whom he had been embroiled in a land boundary dispute at Ballinettey Farm, Mazowe West, where the two were resettled under the land reform programme.

Mukanganyama bought the irrigation equipment after being allocated Plot No. 10, measuring 70 hectares, at the property in 2002.

In 2007, Mudede was allocated Plot No. 1 and five other subdivisions measuring 712.64 hectares. He started encroaching, leading to a dispute between him and the neighbours who included Mukanganyama.

Mudede then forcefully occupied the farmhouse which was at the boundary of the complainant’s farm and state land which was all under Mukanganyama.

Mudede proceeded to evict the complainant and took the irrigation equipment at the farm which included aluminium pipes, mono pump [20 horse power], submersible pump, and plates which belonged to the complainant saying that he was the Registrar General and nothing could be done to him.

When Mukanganyama tried to recover her property, prosecutors said Mudede allegedly enlisted “the services of the then officer-in-charge of Rhodesville Police Station Inspector Mwenje” who showed up with “officers from the Support Unit to intimidate and assault the complainant and her workers.”

As a result, Mukanganyama could not recover any of her property. Harare magistrate Dennis Mangosi remanded Mudede out of custody on free bail. He was not asked to plead.

Before his court appearance in May 2021, Mudede had faced similar charges with resettled farmers accusing him of encroachment and grabbing their land arbitrarily and telling them he was untouchable.

One of the complainants Roti Gadzika approached the High Court in April 2021 seeking an order interdicting Mudede from taking over her land.^[17]

Gadzika, who occupies Plot 14 measuring 375 hectares, said she had lost 60 hectares to Mudede who encroached onto her territory and tapped into her electricity and water, effectively locking her out.

Assault Allegations

In December 2021, Tobaiwa Mudede appeared before a magistrate on allegations of assaulting his daughter-in-law when she had a quarrel with her husband, Mudede’s son in November 2021. Mudede pleaded not guilty to the charges when he appeared before magistrate Dennis Mangosi, who remanded him out of custody to 12 January 2022 for trial. Mudede’s son, Tawanda Mudede, also separately appeared before the same court on allegations of assaulting his wife, Michelle Masawi.

Allegations were that on 22 November 2021 at around 6 pm, Tawanda and his wife visited Mudede at his house in Borrowdale. Upon arrival, Tawanda allegedly called his wife into his room and closed the door from the inside. The wife asked Tawanda why he had closed the door and he replied that she was not leaving his father's place for Chitungwiza. A misunderstanding arose between the two, whereupon Tawanda assaulted his wife with a broomstick. It is alleged that Masawi managed to leave the room and ran to their car which was parked outside the gate. Tawanda reportedly followed his wife and entered into the car where he also allegedly continued assaulting her.

Masawi then called and Mudede rushed to the scene. But instead of restraining his son, Tobaiwa Mudede allegedly slapped his daughter-in-law in the face. Masawi reported the matter to the police leading to the duo’s arrest. ^[18]

References