By Advent Shoko
Zimbabwe’s exiled former Information Minister Jonathan Moyo is once again in the spotlight, facing a life-altering decision, return home or stay away.
Businessman Wicknell Chivayo, a close ally of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, publicly urged Moyo to come back, offering what some would call a VIP welcome. Meanwhile, opposition leader Fadzayi Mahere delivered a blunt warning, stay put, it’s a trap.
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Moyo fled Zimbabwe in haste in 2017 during the military-assisted transition that catapulted Mnangagwa to power after the fall of Zimbabwe’s founding leader Robert Mugabe. Since then, he has lived abroad, writing and speaking critically about the Mnangagwa administration. Yet over recent years, especially around the 2023 elections, his tone softened, and now he’s being personally courted to return.
Chivayo Urges Jonathan Moyo To Return To Zimbabwe
Chivayo’s message was clear, warm, and even flashy:
“Perhaps it is time to COME BACK HOME, because home is BEST. Our Revolutionary mass party, ZANU PF, embraces the principle of being a friend to all and an ENEMY TO NONE. Should you decide to return, I would PERSONALLY come and pick you from the airport in my 2026 Rolls-Royce and chauffeur you home, safely then the next morning you make your way to see Victor and you collect a brand new car of your choice.”
Chivayo praised Moyo as an “experienced strategist” whose contributions have shaped Zimbabwe’s policies, and framed the invitation as a chance to use his skills to guide the country. The subtext, a return would be both politically significant and personally welcomed.
But Mahere’s advice painted a far more cautious picture:
“If you take up this offer then makatopusa zvekudaro. Mumwe wenyu akanzi dzoka, nhasi aripi? This time, Mugabe nekamudhudhudhu kaye hazvipo. Munoshaya anokubuditsai and there will be no crying ‘mama, please save us.’ Munoitwa kanyama-kanyama. Garai ikoko musafe makadzoka. Thank me later. We need new leaders.”
Mahere reminded Moyo of the fate of Walter Mzembi, who was arrested upon his return to Zimbabwe after years in exile. He was detained, and denied bail in his corruption case with the State arguing that he previously fled the country while on bail in 2018 and could do so again. His trial is ongoing, and the State recently concluded its case.
Moyo, on the other hand, is alive and free, thanks to Mugabe. He has previously stated that former Mugabe intervened during the 2017 transition, pleading with Mnangagwa and his allies to allow him to leave Zimbabwe unharmed as part of the negotiations surrounding Mugabe’s resignation.
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