WATCH LIVE as Gambakwe unpacks the addiction of Collins Mnangagwa to his visit to the Chimoio shrine.
- The First Lady of Zimbabwe visited the Chimoio Shrine in early May 2022 to pay tribute to fallen liberation heroes.
- The Delegation: She was accompanied by her son (Collins Mnangagwa), female war veterans, war widows, ZANU-PF Women’s League members, and local Mozambican provincial officials.
- Victor Matemadanda’s Presence: As Zimbabwe’s resident Ambassador to Mozambique at the time, the late Victor Matemadanda officially welcomed the First Lady and guided her delegation through the mass graves.
- Matemadanda’s Legacy: President Mnangagwa assigned him to lead the rehabilitation of Chimoio and other mass graves in Mozambique, a project the government pledged to finish as a tribute following his death in June 2026.
- Massacre Casualties: Over 3 000 Zimbabweans—predominantly unarmed refugees, women, and children—were killed at the Chimoio camp during the Rhodesian military’s “Operation Dingo” from 23–25 November 1977.
- President Mnangagwa’s Presence: The President has never officially visited the actual Chimoio Shrine massacre site during his presidency, choosing instead to delegate those visits to the First Lady and Vice President Kembo Mohadi.
- Presidential Trips to Chimoio: While he skips the shrine itself, his last diplomatic trip to the city of Chimoio was on 9 August 2025 to deliver Cyclone Chido humanitarian relief aid to Mozambique.
