Some of Robert Mugabe's supporters say voting was not 'free and fair' in the Big Brother Africa TV reality show Photo: AP

The office of Robert Mugabe has reportedly demanded recordings of Africa’s Big Brother after a Zimbabwean contestant was beaten by a Nigerian in the final.

Mr Mugabe’s nephew and another political ally have launched a drive to raise £190,000 in compensation for Munya Chidzonga, 24, from Harare, after criticising the voting process as not “free and fair”.

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Officials at MNET Africa, the continent-wide satellite television company which screens the show, said that Mr Mugabe’s office has also asked for recordings of the show’s Sunday final.

Mr Chidzonga, an actor whose nickname is Diamond Boy, first appeared on African Big Brother in 2008 but was invited back to take part in this year’s All Stars, which reunites the viewers’ 14 favourites characters. The Zimbabwean often walked around the house, in Johannesburg, South Africa, draped in his national flag and expressed a wish to meet Robert Mugabe.

Both he and Nigerian Uti Nwachukwu had won the votes of seven African countries each but Nwachukwu clinched the £127,000 prize after gaining the Rest of Africa vote.

The result sparked outrage in Zimbabwe, where there were claims that voting had been manipulated to please the larger Nigerian audience.

Millionaire property tycoon Phillip Chiyangwa, Mr Mugabe’s nephew and a former Zanu-PF MP, said Chidzonga had been “cheated” out of the title by bogus voting practices.

“We have opened a bank account and created a board of trustees for Munya because we believe he was cheated and has been traumatised by the outcome,” he said.

“Let’s give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and release the shock from him.Where there is no hope, we must invent hope.”

He said his property company, Pinnacle Holdings, could give Mr Chidzonga “a piece of property or even a house to compensate for the traumatic experience”.

David Chapfika, a former Zanu-PF finance minister and now chairman of the Indigenisation and Economic Employment Board, said others were keen to back the fundraising drive for the father-of-one whose son, Pfumai, was born on July 13 - five days before he went on Big Brother All Stars.

MNET were unavailable to comment.


SOURCE: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/zimbabwe/8073804/Outrage-in-Zimbabwe-after-contestant-loses-African-Big-Brother-final.html

"We have opened a bank account and created a board of trustees for Munya because we believe he was cheated and has been traumatised by the outcome,” he said.

He said his property company, Pinnacle Holdings, could give Mr Chidzonga “a piece of property or even a house to compensate for the traumatic experience”.

lucky guy.

Your country is one of the poorest in the world and all you care about is the outcome of a worthless reality tv show, Africa.

Dolemite:

Your country is one of the poorest in the world and all you care about is the outcome of a worthless reality tv show, Africa.

My thoughts exactly.

Zimbabweans sneaking into S.A are being eaten by lions as we speak and they are focused on
a reality show?

Tufiakwa! !

I am surprised at this, can't believe that Mugabe spend the better part of his time which he ought to use and think of how to better the lives of millions of poor zimbabweans to watch and concentrate on big brother that had value to nothing . Na wa ooooo, African leaders are so self centered.

Is this not just pathetic, they have a worthless economy but want to kill themselves over BBA

Abeg e. No mind them. Which kain 300,000 dollars? . They are just pissed that a Nigerian won I highly doubt that he going to get anything. Silly Zimbabweans.

jealousy is killing them, uti will send them some money if only they can beg him

jealousy is killing them, uti will send them some money if only they can beg him

enamaye:

jealousy is killing them, uti will send them some money if only they can beg him

Igbo man??

wth!!!!

I think zimbabwe should be banned from the next big brother contests!!!
in fact, if the guy does end up getting the money, house and whatever else mugabe is promising him, I hope big brother producers show this to viewers before, between and after episodes so that all the viewers know that they must not vote for zim ever again.

this show is very silly to me anyways. naija is the largest country in Africa. obviously we are always going to come out tops most of the time with votes. duh.

lastly, mugabe and his niece should be focusing on developing their country rather than fuming over some reality show contest. this is what we call extremely misplaced priority!!!

oyinda.:

wth!!!!

I think zimbabwe should be banned from the next big brother contests!!!
in fact, if the guy does end up getting the money, house and whatever else mugabe is promising him, I hope big brother producers show this to viewers before, between and after episodes so that all the viewers know that they must not vote for zim ever again.

this show is very silly to me anyways. naija is the largest country in Africa. obviously we are always going to come out tops most of the time with votes. duh.

lastly, mugabe and his niece should be focusing on developing their country rather than fuming over some reality show contest. this is what we call extremely misplaced priority!!!

where did you learn such geography that nigeria is the largest country in africa

sundan is the largest

tanzania is even bigger than nigeria

pliz dont confuse population and land size

ZIM DRILL:


where did you learn such geography that nigeria is the largest country in africa

sundan is the largest

tanzania is even bigger than nigeria

pliz dont confuse population and land size

Open your eyes, read and comprehend. Here is what she said

Naija is the largest country in Africa. Obviously we are always going to come out tops with votes

So it's obvious she meant population size in the context she used the word "largest".

This one nor be geography matter. It's simple reading & comprehension and intelligent reasoning which you obviously lack.

This a good example of "sore losers".

ileke, I wonder how long u wud have to despise me for.

I dnt want anything than to connect with some1 that hails from
the same state as I myself. Its sad.

ZIM DRILL:


where did you learn such geography that nigeria is the largest country in africa

sundan is the largest

tanzania is even bigger than nigeria

pliz dont confuse population and land size

like semid4lyfe already mentioned, i was talking about Nigeria being the largest country population wise (duh, even Niger above us is larger in size  than Nigeria). i think it's easy to infer what i mean from my comment about us having the largest votes. square miles don't vote. people do.

and seeing that you are from Zimbabwe, what is your personal opinion on this topic? It will be interesting to hear.

hackney:

My thoughts exactly.

Zimbabweans sneaking into S.A are being eaten by lions as we speak and they are focused on
a reality show?

Tufiakwa! !

looooooooooooooooooooooooooooool ur comment has made my day !!!