Big Brother Africa contestant Munyaradzi Chidzonga, the son of Robert Mugabe's former Cabinet Minister and relative Marvis Chidzonga yesterday received US$300,000 from the President as a reward for failure to win the reality TV show last Sunday.
The money is alleged to have been raised by the President's nephew, controversial businessmen Phillip Chiyangwa.
Chiyangwa and Marvis Chidzonga, a former MP for Mhondoro West in Mashonaland West province and are both related the President.
She is currently in charge of the Zanu PF's rural electrification programme as the Director-General.
Over the years, Marvis Chidzonga worked for several Government Departments including Education, Ministry of Youth as a Principal of a Youth Centre; Department of Rural Development as a Chief Development Officer in the then Ministry of Lands and Resettlement.
From 1995 to 2000 she was a legislator in the Parliament of Zimbabwe where she worked on the reforms of Parliament, Chaired several Portfolio committees including Parastatals and State Investments and the City of Harare. She also served on several International Inter-Parliamentary Committees, before she became a Cabinet Minister.
Chidzonga has sat on the boards of the Cold Storage Company and Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (ZUPCO).
She is also a council member for the University of Zimbabwe.
In 2007 as Commissioner General of The Zimbabwe Electricity Regulatory Commission (ZERC) Commissioner General Mavis Chidzonga allegedly abused a fuel facility worth millions on the open market.
An internal audit report titled "Fuel Usage summary January-April 2007" allegedly reported that between January and April that year, Chidzonga siphoned about 5000 litres of petrol and diesel worth millions.
Sources said the petrol and diesel was given to Chidzonga's relatives' buses known as Nyamweda Bus Service. Nyamweda is Chidzonga's her maiden name.
Wednesday’s gift, received by Munya at State House, means he has now received MORE MONEY than the show’s winner Uti Nwanchukwu of Nigeria who took home US$200,000, thanks to Robert Mugabe's politics of patronage.
"Munya received a hero’s welcome as he emerged from the arrivals terminal at the Harare International Airport, coming from South Africa where the show is filmed" - (according to newzimbabwe.com,).
But fans were left high and dry after the Big Brother star was bundled into a maroon Chevrolet and driven to State House.
The hasty departure also infuriated Croco Motors who had brought in a colourful convoy hoping to take the TV star around Harare.
One fan blasted: “I waited for two hours, but he was here for less than five minutes and he was gone.”
Accompanied by his wife and mother of his son, Adiona Maboreke, Munya met Mugabe and several cabinet ministers for just under an hour.He apologised to his fans who thought he snubbed them at the airport: “Unfortunately I had no control over there.
“I was told on arrival that we had a small window of time to meet the President … I really want to say sorry to everyone.”
Munya, who said he dreamed of meeting Mugabe while in Big Brother, described the 86-year-old leader as “humorous” and a “pleasant man”.
He added: “If you can dream it, put action to it, you can achieve it. I felt like a baby shaking and sweating in front of the President. The ministers present were laughing at me.”
Chiyangwa has accused M-Net of cheating Munya out of the top prize. He said the donation was to "ease Munya's trauma" from the experience.
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