CLAIM
The Herald newspaper reported on May 18 2018 that “MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa yesterday said that he was young and could impregnate any woman to prove how energetic he was in yet another show of sexism.”
Fact-checked by ZimFact Staff
The newspaper claimed that Chamisa said this while addressing an election campaign rally at Maboleni Business Centre in Lower Gweru May 17.
It quoted him as saying “As we go to an election this year, we must say goodbye to old age leadership. We want young and energetic leaders like me. Is there anyone who can doubt that I am energetic? Just give me any woman here and see if I fail to score?”
By Monday, May 21, the daily had not yet publicly responded to complaints by the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) Alliance challenging its report as false.
WHAT DID THE MDC SAY ABOUT THE REPORT?
In a statement, Chamisa’s spokesperson Luke Tamborinyoka accused state media of pursuing an agenda to alienate the MDC Alliance from women voters.
“He (Chamisa) never made any direct or inferred reference to impregnating any woman at the rally. All he said was that he will score many positives when elected to lead the country,” he said.
CONCLUSION
The video above, posted on the MDC Alliance Facebook page on the Maboleni rally, bears no evidence of Chamisa bragging about impregnating women. Instead, the misreported Chamisa quotes appear to have arisen from his remarks on devolution:
“We want kuti zvinhu zviuye kuno kunana Vungu. Tarisai muone development ifonanira kuenda kunzvimbo dzese. Toda kusimudzira Vungu farming nekurima kunoitwa kuno. Toda kuti Vungu isimudzirwe. Vanhu vasaenda kuHarare, vanhu vasenda kuGweru, vanhu vasaenda kuBulawayo. Vanhu vanofanira kuva munharaunda dzvo, madeveloper, masimudzirwa, vari padyo nehama dzavo. Asi kuti musvike ipapo, munoda mutungamiri mutsva, umkhokeli omutsha. A young man. Pane anga doubter here kuti mukandipa ndinogohwesa chop chop?”
[We want to bring development to places such as Vungu. Development must be devolved to all areas. We want to develop the farming activities here in Vungu. We want Vungu to be developed so that people do not have to go to Harare, Gweru or Bulawayo to access services. But for us to get to that point, you need a new leader. A young man. Does anyone here doubt that if you give me the opportunity I will score?”]
Report by Cris Chinaka
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