HARARE
–
Zanu
PF
employs
dozens
of
internet
trolls
to
attack
its
opponents,
according
to
a
document
seen
by
ZimLive.
The
trolls
are
employed
under
the
Varakashi4ED
Social
Media
Unit,
with
the
party’s
legal
secretary
Patrick
Chinamasa
serving
as
its
executive
director.
The
information
was
obtained
after
Chinamasa
fired
six
members
of
the
unit
for
allegedly
attacking
senior
members
of
the
party.
Chinamasa
announced
the
move
in
a
February
11
letter
to
the
party’s
national
political
commissar
Munyaradzi
Machacha.
He
wrote:
“On
February
3,
2025,
I
met
with
His
Excellency,
the
president
and
first
secretary
of
Zanu
PF
Cde
Dr.
E.D.
Mnangagwa
to
discuss
disciplinary
issues
within
the
Varakashi4ED
Social
Media
Unit,
which
I
lead
as
the
executive
director…
“After
reviewing
serious
infractions
by
rogue
elements
who
attacked
the
unit’s
leadership
and
senior
party
officials,
the
following
recommendations
were
made:
♦
Permanent
removal
of
Jonasi
Mandiwisa
Musara,
Tafadzwa
Mawire,
Tinotenda
Gachange,
Felix
Muzondo,
Pardon
Mangwende
and
Herbert
Mathe
from
the
Varakashi4ED
Social
Media
Unit.
♦
Varakashi4ED
Social
Media
Unit
shall
be
the
party’s
sole
Zanu
PF
recognised
social
media
affiliate.
♦
Expedited
implementation
of
a
party
social
media
management
policy
by
the
commissariat,
information
and
publicity
and
legal
departments.”
Chinamasa
advised
Machacha
that
Norman
Mbimbi
would
now
be
administrator
of
Varakashi4ED
with
Dereck
Goto
as
director
of
operations.
“I
kindly
request
your
office
to
enforce
these
recommendations
as
per
His
Excellency’s
directive…
I
will
continue
overseeing
the
Unit
in
my
capacity
as
executive
director,”
Chinamasa
added.
It
has
long
been
rumoured
that
Zanu
PF
employs
social
media
trolls
to
magnify
its
messages
and
attack
rivals,
but
this
is
the
first
time
proof
has
been
obtained
of
their
existence.
In
the
same
letter,
Chinamasa
said
the
unit
was
established
following
Mnangagwa’s
directive
“ahead
of
the
2023
harmonised
elections.”
One
of
those
jettisoned
from
the
unit,
Jonasi
Mandiwisa
Musara,
who
uses
the
name
Jones
Musara
on
social
media,
tweeted
on
Thursday:
“Now
back
to
law
school
which
requires
lots
of
studying,
writing
assignments
and
particpating
in
tutorials.
My
time
on
social
media
will
be
obviously
drastically
reduced
because
of
that.”