By A Correspondent | ZimEye | The story of Admire Sibanda, better known as Chief Hwenje—a nephew to President Emmerson Mnangagwa and a staunch ZANU PF loyalist—has ignited a firestorm of conflicting narratives. On one side, the anguished cries of a grieving family, adamant that Hwenje has passed, casting blame on a party they say abandoned their devoted propagandist in his hour of need. On the other, a government clinging to denial, led by its spokesmen and state media, weaving stories that only deepen the shadows around this tragedy.
Hwenje’s story is one of loyalty—to a fault, some would say. A voice that sang the praises of the ruling party, now silenced under murky circumstances. Diagnosed with cancer, he was promised life-saving treatment in South Africa, a gesture the family now claims came far too late. Whispers abound of power struggles within the Mnangagwa family and a deliberate effort to obscure the truth. As ZANU PF tightens its grip on information, even barring Hwenje’s own relatives from seeing him, the cracks in the facade begin to show.
In the dead of night, a photograph emerged, accompanied by a message from his family declaring his death. This announcement, filled with grief and frustration, collided with the vehement refutations of a government broadcaster who claims to be Hwenje’s brother. The conflicting stories have left Zimbabweans in a state of confusion, suspicion, and outrage, wondering what the silence is hiding.
The question remains: is Hwenje’s death a mere tragedy, or the tip of a deeper iceberg of factionalism and neglect within ZANU PF? As his family speaks out, accusing the ruling party of covering up their culpability, the nation waits, holding its breath for the truth. This is not just a story about a man—it’s a tale of power, betrayal, and the human cost of loyalty in a fractured system.
The family of Emmerson Mnangagwa’s nephew, Admire Sibanda (Chief Hwenje) has gone against govt spokesman Nick Mangwana in their insistence that he has died.
The ZANU PF government is operating in secrecy due of the embarrassment it faces since Hwenje’s family blame the party for failing to take care of the singer, a loyal propaganda man’s medical needs until too late, as a doctor has said.
Hwenje was last week reported to have been diagnosed with cancer and later ZANU PF announced that they are flying him to South Africa for treatment.
Days later family members speaking with ZimEye are telling a sad story by these same next of kins who a week earlier had called in to speak against the government over their loved one’s welfare.
At 10.07pm on Thursday they called in and then forwarded the below picture annotated with an announcement that he has died.
Efforts were taken to verify with other relatives and friends.
It was revealed among other things that ZanuPf had flown him to Pretoria and then banned his family from reaching him. So secretive has ZANU PF been over their own loved one that the family members believe Hwenje’s reported death is the result of internal conflict against the Mnangagwa family.
A man who was first to deny the reports while announcing that he is the brother turned out to be a govt broadcaster ZBC producer.
Now on Friday the family tells ZimEye their son is no more despite the ZBC man’s refutals. “They are delaying announcements because they want to cook a new story that absolves them of blame,” a male senior, Albert Sibanda tells ZimEye.
”They want to transport the body to Harare so that they can say he died in Harare but now after you’ve published it, what will they say?,” he adds.
Last night family members from Hwenje’s father’s side spoke in variously communicating in Shona, while asking for anonymity protection, as they said:
“Situation pairi pakaipa hama dzachivharirwa [ku] ona munhu apa vakamusiya muchipatara pasina follow up.
Zvirikungovharwa pane paida kuita video kuti ataure problems aarikusangana nawo asi vakamutorera ma-phone saka apa vanga vasiri kubudisa paari.
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Asvika vaifanira murapisa pakabuda report ya doc kuti munhu akanonokerwa asara nenguva diki ndopakapera batsirwa avachabvumiri mhuri kumuwona paakaraira doc atibate achida ita vedeo kumbira help paakatorerwa foni hama tikarambidzwa wana access vazoda bata vanhu munhu ashaya pana doc iyeye airamba achitipa infor.
Saka paazivisa ashaya mukoma mukuru ariharare abva abatwa mhuri isataura ashaya kana ikabvunziwa uye pakawana abvunza mot akadzoka south africa akarapiwa akadzoka.” -ZimEye
This story is developing, and more details will be provided as they emerge.