HARARE - Journalist Hopewell Chin’ono on Tuesday said he had launched a GoFundMe campaign for activist Madzibaba VeShanduko, citing “serious financial difficulties” following his imprisonment and the destruction of his home.
In a post, Chin’ono said Madzibaba VeShanduko contacted him for help because he was “struggling to pay his children’s school fees and provide for their basic upkeep.”
He added: “His home was burnt down, and he spent eight months in prison for a political crime he did not commit before later being acquitted by the courts.”
Chin’ono urged the public to “donate whatever you can and help spread the word” to help him “rebuild his life and support his family during this difficult period.”
Hours later, an official statement dated 17 June 2026 was issued by “President Chamisa Through his Bureau of Communications” addressing “false reports and unnecessary misinformation” around support given to Madzibaba during his “persecution and incarceration.”
The statement said Madzibaba and his family “requested a meeting and the taking of photographs as a way of preserving memories and expressing appreciation for the support, solidarity, and encouragement they received during their moments of persecution.”
It added: “Any support given to a citizen in distress is a humane responsibility deserving of a humane response, and we were compelled to assist regardless of the circumstances of his incarceration.”
The bureau rejected claims that there was “no coordinated citizens' support,” saying welfare assistance was provided, “including rental payments and support towards the schooling of his children.”
“Gestures of goodwill must never be reduced to PR exercises for likes and accolades. The absence of publicity must never be mistaken for the absence of coordinated support,” the statement read.
It continued: “There is nothing wrong with helping a fellow citizen in distress. What is wrong is the deliberate distortion of facts, the vilification of those who extended a helping hand, and the attempt to divert attention from the real issues that gave rise to the suffering in the first place.”
The statement noted that the Citizens Movement “does not publicise acts of assistance because helping people is not a public relations exercise.
The Gofundme appeal had raised more than $1,600 of a target of $3,000 by late yesterday.
Responses on Chamisa’s statement were mixed, although many appeared to attack Chamisa.
“This self-righteous statement is amateurish. The guy needs help, and the best thing you could do is mobilize people to donate. He called .@daddyhope for a reason , clearly he is struggling and needs additional resources,” said an X user.
One of the few Chamisa supporters wrote: “Hopewell agara akavengera Nero nyaya yekuramba kuudzirwa kuronga ma party structure naChinon'ono tozviziva ndopakabva ruvengo. (Hopewell hates Chamisa because he did not take up his advice to build party structures. We know that)”
Madzibaba VeShanduko had not issued his own public comment by Tuesday evening.