Former Mt Pleasant MP and prominent political activist Fadzayi Mahere has fired back at Youth Minister Tinomudaishe Machakaire, demanding he withdraws several damaging accusations and issues a public apology — or face legal action.
Machakaire, who is also a Zanu PF Politburo member, took to X (formerly Twitter) with explosive allegations against Mahere, painting her as morally questionable, corrupt, and even accusing her of bribing judges and being a political spy.
Now, Mahere’s legal team at Diza Attorneys has responded with a firm ultimatum: take down the posts and apologise within 24 hours — or prepare for court.
What Sparked the Feud?
The clash began when Mahere publicly questioned Machakaire on X, calling out what she described as corruption and misuse of public resources. In retaliation, Machakaire threatened to sue her for defamation, demanding that she retract her statements and apologise.
But in a strongly worded three-page letter dated July 8, Mahere’s lawyers dismissed his threats.
They argued that asking tough questions of a Cabinet minister is not defamation — it’s part of her constitutional right to hold public officials accountable.
“Our client denies defaming Mr Machakaire in the manner you allege, or at all, the letter states. The suggestion that a series of questions, posed in the spirit of seeking accountability and transparency from a Cabinet Minister, constitute defamation is legally untenable.”
Earlier, Machakaire had demanded a public apology and retraction from Mahere over her X posts, which questioned his alleged involvement in corruption, abuse of public resources, and reliance on political protection. His lawyers argued the posts damaged his reputation.
In a twist, Mahere has turned the tables. Her legal team accused Machakaire of launching a defamatory campaign against her through a string of tweets posted on July 5 and 6 from his official X account, @HonMachakaire.
The tweets went far beyond political sparring. They included claims that Mahere faked her way into law school, traded sexual favours for power, accepted a Jaguar in exchange for influence, and was involved in espionage and bribery networks.
One of the tweets reportedly called her a “thieving moron,” while another accused her of using “sexcapades” to climb the political ladder.
Mahere’s lawyers say these claims are completely false, malicious, and designed to destroy her reputation.
The legal team also pointed out that Machakaire’s posts were seen by over 166,000 users and widely reposted, worsening the damage to Mahere’s reputation.
They argue that if Machakaire doesn’t issue a full public retraction and apology within 24 hours, they will take legal action — and they won’t hold back.
Mahere’s lawyers say that if the minister proceeds with his own lawsuit, they will push back hard, seeking “exemplary” legal costs and calling his suit a waste of the court’s time
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The post Fadzayi Mahere Fights Back: Demands Apology from Minister Machakaire Over Defamatory Tweets appeared first on iHarare News.
