Who is this Baba Jukwa

AS POLITICIANS wrangle over the precise date of Zimbabwe’s imminent presidential and parliamentary elections, the clarion call of “Baba Jukwa” has cut through the din. Claiming to be a disgruntled insider from President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu-PF party, the gossipy Facebook page belonging to this mysterious character, whose name echoes that of a spirit medium, has drawn more than 185,000 “likes” in just three months, with hundreds of responses to every post.

Some think Baba Jukwa is a sort of Zimbabwean Robin Hood, stealing secrets from the ruling party and sharing them with the disfranchised masses. Every day the blogger names and shames politicians for alleged corruption and brutality, often including their mobile-phone numbers with instructions to call and demand answers. Other posts encourage Zimbabweans to register to vote. “Asijiki!” Baba Jukwa signs off. “No turning back!” One thing is for sure, baba Jukwa is the most popular blogger to hit Zimbabwe.

Zimbabweans tend to believe that this pseudonymous rabble-rouser really is an insider. An editorial in Newsday, an independent daily, told its readers to “take Baba Jukwa seriously”, adding that “It will be naive to ignore what this Facebook character says as we go towards watershed elections.” The state-controlled Herald newspaper, slavishly pro-Mugabe, denounced the “sinister elements” and “stooges” behind Baba Jukwa.

So who is this baba Jukwa and where does he get his stories from? According to the economist he is Zimbabwe’s Robin hood. What can be made out of baba Jukwa. Is he just trying to level off with Amai Jukwa. I wonder if anyone has actually tried calling the phone numbers of politicians given by baba Jukwa. Maybe he is just a stooge as supposed by the herald, maybe an entertaining stooge for that matter. 

Maybe ZANU PF must offer a 1million US$ reward for the identity of baba Jukwa. Maybe we should simply ask Amai Jukwa!