A public exchange on social media between Presidential Investment Advisor Paul Tungwarara and activist Rutendo Matinyarare has sparked debate over whether an offer of a luxury vehicle and promises of engagement may have effectively neutralised one of the government’s most vocal critics.
The interaction unfolded after weeks of increasingly critical remarks by Matinyarare directed at President Emmerson Mnangagwa and members of his administration over what he claims is unpaid work performed on behalf of Zimbabwe and the ruling establishment.
In a conciliatory message posted on social media, Tungwarara praised Matinyarare’s past work but expressed concern over his recent criticism of the President and his use of social media to air grievances.
“I have been following your work for a long time with admiration. However, I must say I am not happy with how things have turned out and your continuous direct and indirect attacks on the President,” Tungwarara wrote.
The Presidential advisor proposed a roundtable discussion to address Matinyarare’s concerns and urged him to de-escalate his criticism while dialogue takes place.
What immediately attracted public attention, however, was Tungwarara’s subsequent offer.
“As a first condition for our upcoming roundtable meeting, I want you to come and collect your Toyota 300 series. Let me know when you are in Harare so we can arrange for you to pick up your car,” he wrote.
The offer of a Toyota Land Cruiser 300 Series – a luxury vehicle often associated with political elites and senior government officials – quickly ignited debate online, with critics questioning whether the gesture amounted to an attempt to buy goodwill or silence a prominent critic.
Matinyarare’s response appeared noticeably softer in tone than his recent criticisms.
“I have long had the inclination that you are probably the wisest of the President’s advisors, but now I am convinced,” he wrote.
While maintaining that he and his organisation, Zimbabwe Anti-Sanctions Movement (ZASM), had been unfairly treated, Matinyarare welcomed the prospect of dialogue and framed the dispute primarily as a matter of unpaid compensation rather than political disagreement.
He argued that individuals who had undertaken assignments on behalf of Zimbabwe should be recognised and compensated for their efforts.
“People cannot work for the betterment of the nation and the President’s legacy on the mandate of his envoys and advisors, and then not receive recognition or compensation,” he wrote.
Matinyarare claimed that he had undertaken assignments ranging from lobbying against sanctions to combating anti-Zimbabwe sentiment in South Africa and helping repair diplomatic relations between Zimbabwe and Rwanda.
According to him, those efforts came at significant personal and professional cost.
“In executing my mandate, I put my life and business interests at risk, ending up as one of the most hated Zimbabweans in South Africa,” he wrote.
“My business was isolated by global corporations I worked with because I stood firm for the hated ‘Zimbabwe’.”
The activist described feeling abandoned after allegedly carrying out work requested by government-linked figures without receiving agreed remuneration.
“When it came time for me to get my agreed remuneration, all the princes, advisors and envoys ran into ivory towers, and I was left standing alone like an abandoned slave,” he said.
Despite the sharp criticism, Matinyarare ultimately agreed to engage in talks.
“Anyway, I acknowledge and accept that let us have a round table and resolve what is clearly an issue that can be resolved amicably if hearts and minds are focused on reconciliation, nation building, and unity,” he wrote.
The exchange has generated widespread discussion on social media, with some observers interpreting Tungwarara’s intervention as a successful effort to diffuse a potentially damaging public dispute involving a former ally of the administration.
Others have questioned whether the promise of a luxury vehicle and possible financial compensation creates the appearance that political criticism can be resolved through personal rewards rather than transparent engagement.
Neither Tungwarara nor Matinyarare has publicly clarified whether the Toyota 300 Series was intended as a gift, compensation for past work, or part of a broader settlement of the dispute.
What is clear, however, is that the interaction has shifted the conversation from Matinyarare’s criticism of the government to broader questions about patronage, political influence and the relationship between activists, advisers and the State.
As attention turns to the proposed roundtable meeting, observers will be watching closely to see whether the discussions produce a lasting reconciliation or merely a temporary pause in a dispute that has exposed tensions within circles that have traditionally supported President Mnangagwa.
Source – online
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