Joseph Chinotimba facts for kids

Joseph Chinotimba (born 23 March 1958) is a well-known political figure from Zimbabwe. He became widely known around the year 2000. This was when many commercial farms owned by white people in Zimbabwe began to change hands. He is a strong supporter of the ZANU-PF political party. He also serves as the national vice-chairman of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association.

Early Life and Career

Joseph Chinotimba joined the fight for Zimbabwe's freedom in the 1970s. He received training in different countries like Mozambique, Tanzania, and Romania. After Zimbabwe gained independence in 1980, he left the army.

He then started working for the Harare City Council as a security guard. In 1982, he joined the police section of the Municipal Council. Over time, he worked his way up to become a chief inspector.

Role in Land Reform

Joseph Chinotimba played a significant role in the land reform efforts in Zimbabwe. These efforts involved changing who owned commercial farms. In 2006, it was reported that he built a house for himself in the Mabelreign area of Harare. This land was traditionally set aside for building churches.

Political Activities

Chinotimba has been active in politics for many years. He led the Zimbabwe Federation of Trade Unions. This group was created to offer a different voice from another large workers' union, the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU).

Running for Parliament

In June 2003, Joseph Chinotimba tried to become a Member of Parliament for the Highfield area. However, he did not win that election. He ran again for the Highfield seat in the 2005 parliamentary elections. He lost this election as well.

Supporting Robert Mugabe

In 2007, Chinotimba and his ally, Jabulani Sibanda, organized large marches across the country. These marches were held to show support for Robert Mugabe. The goal was to make sure Mugabe was the only candidate for the ZANU-PF party in the 2008 presidential election. Mugabe was indeed chosen as the party's candidate.

2008 Election Campaign

In late 2007, Chinotimba announced he would run for the Buhera South area in the March 2008 parliamentary election. This seat had been held by Kumbirai Kangai since 1980. Famous musician Alick Macheso even joined Chinotimba to help him win the seat.

Chinotimba was chosen by the ZANU-PF party to be their candidate for Buhera South. However, he was defeated in the election by Nemadziva Naison from the Movement for Democratic Change. Chinotimba received 7,613 votes, while Naison received 8,833 votes.

In July 2008, Chinotimba left his job as chief inspector of the municipal police. He decided to focus all his time on his political work and business interests.