Mkadzi mnyuwani waVP Chiwenga odzokorora zvekare kurasira marara paRed Carpet: Nyadzi dzaMacron dzicha-namatira Soko
By Correspondent | 12 May 2025
In a fresh diplomatic embarrassment, Zimbabwe’s Vice President Constantino Chiwenga’s wife, Minnie Baloyi, has stirred public outrage after repeating an awkward public moment during a state visit —just last year seen tossing what appears to be litter on a red carpet while being received by French President Emmanuel Macron on 24 July 2024. The resurfaced video clip, now going viral across African social media platforms, shows Baloyi casually discarding a piece of paper or tissue as she curtsies in front of Macron.
This past week she is publicly rubbishing requests for the plight of patients in hospitals.
The incident has reawakened fierce criticism around the VP’s wife, with Zimbabweans recalling past episodes of protocol blunders, while this time attaching the issue to deeper societal wounds — including the unresolved fate of Marry Mubaiwa, the estranged ex-wife of Chiwenga and mother of his children, who has been kept from them for six years.
Social media commentator Chapman Tavapatsa Mandaza added fuel to the fire on May 9, 2025, writing under a post by Baloyi:
“While you are still in Europe, tour their hospitals and bring the ideas home. God will appreciate more than visiting Vatican, anoshanda acho ochofa nekushaya basics.”
In response, Minnie Baloyi downplayed her public role, saying:
“I don’t have a say in any ministry because I don’t have a government office or mandate whatsoever. I’m just a wife to my husband, period.”
But many aren’t buying it. Critics argue that Baloyi can’t hide behind the “just a wife” label while parading on international red carpets, receiving diplomatic courtesies, and influencing public narratives at home.
“Is this the role model for Marry Mubaiwa’s children?” asked one user in a trending post. “Six years without their mother, and this is the conduct they witness from the woman who replaced her?”
The symbolism of littering on a red carpet — a place meant to showcase diplomacy, order, and pride — has drawn comparisons to the political decay and ethical rot that many Zimbabweans believe now defines their leadership.
As the video circulates, one thing is clear: Minnie Baloyi is no longer just a private spouse. Her actions are being scrutinized on a national and international scale — and they are not going unnoticed.