HARARE – A heated exchange has erupted on social media platform X between Zimbabwean Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) star Themba Gorimbo and controversial tenderpreneur Wicknell Chivayo, with the two trading insults over their opposing political views.
Gorimbo, who has been vocal in criticising Zimbabwe’s ruling party ZANU PF, accused the government of causing widespread suffering and labeled Chivayo as part of the problem for his close association with party leaders.
Chivayo, in turn, ridiculed the US–based fighter following his recent defeat, claiming Gorimbo had lost focus on his sport and was now more interested in social media fame.
“Useless, anzwa butter. Kuswera uchitsvaga mbiri pa social media uchituka vanhu nenyika. Too many defeats. Dzoka uzoita bouncer kumabhawa,” Chivayo wrote mockingly on X, telling Gorimbo to return home and work as a nightclub bouncer.
In a fiery response, Gorimbo, who sarcastically nicknames Chivayo “Wickednell”, fired back, saying he was proud of his hard work and integrity, unlike Chivayo who he accused of enriching himself through political connections.
“My guy, I will never be a bouncer. I am what you will never be and what you wish to be at the same time—a hardworking Zimbabwean,” Gorimbo replied.
“I don’t need to be ZANU to make it. I don’t need to buy people to be relevant, and I don’t need to gain from the suffering of my people.”
Gorimbo went on to say it was “embarrassing to even have a Zimbabwean flag at the moment because of people like you,” adding that he once ignored Chivayo’s request for a selfie at the airport because he refuses to “sell his soul for money.”
“From nothing to something—I have already won in life. Bikita to Miami through God and hard work,” he declared.
The feud between Gorimbo and Chivayo is not new.
The two have a long history of public spats and neither seems ready to back down.
