A GOVERNMENT directive urging local authorities to purchase President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s revised and translated biography, A Life of Sacrifice, has drawn sharp criticism, with opponents warning it amounts to compulsory State-sponsored hero worship.
The controversy erupted after the Local Government ministry instructed all councils to buy copies at US$17 each or US$15 for orders of 100 or more.
In the memo dated March 31, permanent secretary John Basera directed town clerks and chief executives to make immediate arrangements for the procurement and distribution of the books to schools.
Political analyst Vivid Gwede questioned why the ministry has to coerce local authorities to buy the book.
"Biographies, even of political leaders, are personal life accounts that people should read out of private interest and curiosity," Gwede said.
"Their reading is rarely coerced except in dystopian societies bent on creating a cult of personality."
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Another analyst, Rejoice Ngwenya, said the move was deeply worrying.
"If it is true, then Zanu PF has reached the utmost bottom of the political desperation barrel," Ngwenya said.
“It amounts to coercion and enforced praise singing. Teachers' unions must approach the courts to reverse this rogue instruction."
The Zimbabwe Union of Residents and Ratepayers Associations (ZURRA), representing residents across the country, called upon relevant authorities to withdraw or reconsider the directive.
In a formal letter, the association expressed profound concern, adding that the instruction was inconsistent with the principles of devolution enshrined in the Constitution.
ZURRA argued that local authorities possess a measure of autonomy and are primarily mandated to deliver essential public services, including water supply, waste management, road maintenance and public health services — many of which are under severe strain.
The association said residents in numerous communities continued to face urgent service delivery challenges that demanded immediate financial attention.
"Within this context, the utilisation of public funds, whether directly or indirectly, for the procurement of a political publication raises serious concerns regarding prioritisation, accountability and the prudent use of scarce public resources," it said.
"Local authorities should not be compelled to divert limited financial resources to expenditures outside their core mandate."
ZURRA added that any form of coercion, whether explicit or implied, undermined the fundamental principles of good governance, transparency and institutional independence.
The directive, it said, represented a conflation of private and public interests, amounting to abuse of power and authority.
The association said the publisher should, like all others, compete openly on the marketplace, adding that the decision to purchase such a book should rest with individual citizens.
Analyst Ruben Mbofana said the directive raised immediate concerns about misuse of public office to advance what appeared like ‘a political or personal publication’.
“Given the hierarchical nature of Zimbabwe’s public administration, local authorities will reasonably interpret this as an obligation rather than a voluntary initiative,” he said.
Mbofana further noted that the directive to distribute the book to schools bypasses the Primary and Secondary Education ministry, creating a dangerous precedent where politically-linked content avoids established educational safeguards.
"Encouraging or compelling public institutions to purchase and distribute a biography of a sitting head of State edges into State-sponsored propaganda," he said.
"That undermines the neutrality of the civil service and erodes public trust."
Local Government ministry spokesperson Gabriel Masvora said councils were not forced to buy the book.
“It (memo) originated from our office, but please note that it is voluntary.”
Zanu PF central committee member Esau Mupfumi defended the directive, saying local authorities should buy the book as it spells out the country's Vision 2030.
"They should buy the biography of His Excellency President Emmerson Mnangagwa so that they can also get the vision of the country, so they should buy it at all costs," Mupfumi said.
"President Emmerson Mnangagwa is the government and the biography is important to all of us."
There have been attempts by loyalists to hero-worship Mnangagwa.
A multi-million-dollar traffic interchange was renamed Trabablas, which is one of Mnangagwa’s war names.
Mnangagwa’s birthday, celebrated on September 15, has been turned into Munhumutapa Day by loyalists, although it is not a public holiday.
King Munhumutapa, also known as Mwenemutapa, was the ruler of the ancient Kingdom of Mutapa (sometimes referred to as the Mutapa Empire), which existed in what is now modern-day Zimbabwe and expanded into parts of Mozambique.