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Anonymous
Baba Jukwa Facebook dishes dirt on Zimbabwe politics
Madalitso Mwando, Global Voices
June 15, 2013
http://globalvoicesonline.org/2013/06/15/anonymous-baba-jukwa-facebook-dishes-dirt-on-zimbabwe-politics/
A new Facebook
phenomenon has Zimbabwe talking as elections approach. An anonymous
character calling himself Baba Jukwa (BJ) has become a major talking
point as Zimbabweans hungry for political intrigue visit “his”
Facebook wall to get the latest on what is happening in President
Robert Mugabe’s Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic
Front (Zanu-PF) political party.
BJ, as
he is called, is said to be a member of Zanu-PF’s inner circle
and describes himself as a “Concerned father, fighting nepotism
and directly linking community with their Leaders, Government, MPs
and Ministers” and is dishing the dirt on the party, much
to the delight of his followers.
It is however
suspected that BJ is a group of people who post regular updates
from different parts of the country, but whatever the case, BJ,
with 144,104 Facebook likes at the time of writing this post, has
forever changed Zimbabwean politics and how social media is appropriated
in contemporary political discourse ahead of elections expected
this year.
Most of his
revelations include the names and sometimes telephone numbers of
politicians, intelligence officers and army officials. In one of
his posts, he talks about corruption involving a Chinese firm and
officials from the president's office and indigenisation office.
Whilst
Zimbabwe is saying China is here to help, only government officials
and Zanu goons are benefiting. Can I share with you this information;
there is a company which is being run by a Chinese guy Tsao Xuecheng.
It has been operating for the past 5 years. It’s the company
that installed new elevators at Zanu-PF recently. Shamu and other
Zanu goons got their shares in this deal. On the 14 of May the company
was paid US$250 000 as deposit to install a new CID HQ. The material
is on its way from China. This Chinese guy works with Kasukuwere
and Neville Mutsvengwa from indigenisation office.
In another post,
he names an ICT expert trained in surveillance who pretend to be
working for a railways company:
“Patrons
at Belgravia sports club are advised that there is an operative
who is spending much time there these days by your place. He is
an ICT guru and covers by working for a Railways company. He is
well trained in tracking, and very good those close to the Prime
Minister Tsvangirai.”
He names
the people who were behind Zimbabwe involvement in the Second Congo
War:
“Zimbabwe
do you know that the Zimbabwe National Army’s involvement
in the DRC conflict was motivated more by Mugabe, Mnangagwa and
the military junta’s desire to enrich themselves on Congo’s
rich natural resources? Among them was Robert Mhlanga, a former
Air Force Vice-Marshal and Mugabe’s personal helicopter pilot,
who retired a millionaire shortly after his tour in the DRC. This
thug Robert Mhlanga was also a key state witness in the treason
trial against MDC President, Morgan Tsvangirai in 2003.”
He describes
Zanu PF's planned
tactics to rig this year's election:
“Those
who follow this page would remember that some weeks ago i posted
that Zanu-PF's rigging machinery is divided into three stages, namely
registration and inspection, campaigning and finally voting and
counting.”
I told
in the first stage has been confirmed by the most unlikely source,
Amai Mujuru [...] Be that as it is, my message today is that Zanu
Pf has recently resolved to shift a gear up in its rigging strategy,
that is, stage 2, Campaign Stage, thereby prompting me to come back
to you Zimbabwe so that you won't duped by these cunning old people.
His mysterious
air and revelations have got many talking. Zimbabwean comedian Carl
Joshua Ncube (@CarlJoshuaNcube) wrote:
“@CarlJoshuaNcube:
my non Zimbabwean friends asking me who Baba Jukwa is and I am like
“all I know is that he is a short little white man with a
walking stick”
Zimbabwean journalist
Mike Madoda (@mikemadoda) described BJ's popularity:
“@mikemadoda:
I dare say this Baba Jukwa fella is now more popular/infamous (depending
on ur affiliation) than Jonathan Moyo [Jonathan Moyo is the much
maligned former Information Minister] was at his zenith.”
Citizen
journalism site Living Zimbabwe asked Zimbabweans on Facebook:
“Given
the nature of the content that Baba Jukwa shares with the world,
do you think he (or they) could have an impact on Zimbabwe's political
landscape?”
Because of what
appears to be BJ's incredible insider knowledge of Zanu-PF, Twitter
user Madzibaba Sir Revita (@AwkwardZimbo) made a request:
“@AwkwardZimbo:
Baba Jukwa should do us all a favour and expose Bona Mugabe's [Bona
is President Robert Mugabe’s daughter] Instagram account”
A not-so-impressed
Conor Walsh (@ConorMWalsh) asked:
“@ConorMWalsh:
Does Baba Jukwa really think a terminally deformed formation like
ZanuPF can reform itself?”
The state broadcaster
(@zbc_news) made fun of BJ’s growing popularity:
“@zbc_news:
While y'all busy counting the number of “likes” on Baba
Jukwa's fb page, we are already counting our votes for the next
election – Zanu PF.”
Mushongera (@GMushongera)
poked fun at the powers-that-be:
“@Mushongera:
Accessing Baba Jukwa right in front of the parliament. Tapanduka!
[We have rebelled] — Africa Unity Square: an Internet hotspot
http://t.co/FBTcA8YnF6”
And the influence
and popularity of BJ seems to have reached others shores outside
Zimbabwe. Blogger Sir Nigel (@SirNige) reported:
“@SirNige:
@stanleykwenda: So some young boys in UK are setting up a Baba Jukwa
& Mai Jukwa fashion label” //Serious?”
According to
Jeffrey Smith (@Smith_RFKennedy) BJ has started blogging:
“@Smith_RFKennedy:
#Zimbabwe: Notorious & increasingly popular Zanu-PF mole, promises
“darker secrets,” starts new website: http://zimbabwean-at-heart.com/
@BabaJukwa”
Eve Queeniie
Parkes commented on Facebook that BJ has made Zimbabwean politics
more interesting:
FROM MAKANDIWA
AND ANGEL [popular local "prophets"] TO MAI AND BABA JUKWA
ZIM POLITICS GETTING INTRESTING [sic] LIKE NEVER BEFORE WAS SO TIRED
OF THEM FAKE PROPHETS SICK STUNTS….
The BJ excitement
has been irresistible for even non-Zimbabwean bloggers such as Joel
B. Pollak who thinks BJ's impact could have been widespread if more
people had access to Internet in the country:
If only more
than 1 in 6 Zimbabweans had Internet access, it might make more
of a difference.
Visit BJ's
Facebook page for what is happening behind the scene in Zimbabwean
politics.
Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.
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