By A Correspondent| Information Secretary Nick Mangwana has refuted social media claims that the Rolls Royce that broke the Internet yesterday belonged to Deputy Youths, Sports and Arts minister Tinoda Machakaire.
Posting on Twitter, Mangwana said Machakaire was not the owner of the said Rolls Royce as he already had a similar car.
“Let me make this point clear. @HonMachakaire who I know pretty well is not the buyer of that car. He already has a similar car so he doesn’t need to buy one more. 2- He declared his wealth in parliament so what he has is a matter of public record. 3-He has never won a govt tender,” said Mangwana.
He further chastised society for haunting the rich saying success in life is not transferred by simply hating the well-offs.
“I see some have made it their pastime to hate the rich among us. I think Some hate the rich because their success is an indictment on their own failures. Success does not transfer to us just because we don’t wish it on anyone else. Let’s not be a country that haunts its well-offs,” said Mangwana.
Social media was abuzz with a TikTok video of a Rolls Royce which was being shipped to Zimbabwe with the guy who appeared in the video saying it belongs to a government minister.
A local online news site ZimLive then followed up with a story which quoted an unnamed source claiming that Rolls Royce belonged to Machakaire.
Meanwhile there were mixed feelings to a post by opposition MDC Alliance Spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere who posted about the Rolls Royce with some defending Machakaire as a businessman who made his fortunes outside government.
One Twitter user, Dr Controlla Gabi questioned the authenticity of the circulating video.
“Has this even been confirmed? Is it even a gvt car? Trial-by-Tiktok. Interesting that even grown lawyers are this excitable. One day they tell us they believe in the presumption of innocence and then, enter a Tiktok Rolls Royce, they suddenly become hysterical. Holy Mary!!,” said Gabi.
He further reiterated Mangwana’s remarks that society should not make it a habit to hate the rich for their successes.
“I’m with you there. But we should shun accusing people who are more successful than us just because they are doing well. At the same time, we shouldn’t use social media content as evidence. That’s wrong for our country too. Let’s fight for social justice, but let’s do so fairly,” added Gabi.
Machakaire could not be reached for a comment as he was believed to be in his constituency in Wedza.