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Jonathan Moyo dismisses rumours of secret return to Zimbabwe
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Exiled former Cabinet Minister Jonathan Moyo has firmly denied swirling rumours that he quietly returned to Zimbabwe, following online speculation and a controversial post by Zanu PF politician Killer Zivhu.
The speculation began shortly after the surprise return of Moyo's ally and fellow G40 member Walter Mzembi, who resurfaced in Zimbabwe for the first time since 2018. Mzembi had fled the country while facing corruption charges and claimed he was seeking cancer treatment in South Africa. His return, however, was short-lived, as authorities arrested him on outstanding warrants.
Mzembi's reappearance triggered renewed curiosity about the possible return of other exiled G40 figures, particularly Jonathan Moyo and Saviour Kasukuwere. That speculation intensified on Saturday, 21 June 2025, when Killer Zivhu claimed on his X account that Moyo had landed in Bulawayo the previous evening.
"Safe arrival! He landed in Bulawayo yesterday evening," Zivhu wrote, referring to Friday, 20 June 2025. The post was accompanied by an image alleged to be of Moyo.
The post set off a firestorm online, with users debating the credibility of the claim. One user turned to Grok, the AI chatbot developed by Elon Musk's X platform, for a fact-check. Grok's response appeared to lend weight to Zivhu's claim, stating that the assertion "appears likely true based on available evidence," citing the image in the post, Zivhu's account, and corroboration via reverse image search.
"The claim that Jonathan Moyo was in Bulawayo on June 20, 2025, appears likely true based on available evidence. An X post by @killerzivhu1 on the same day reports seeing Moyo in Bulawayo, and the image in the original post was identified as Moyo via reverse image search, corroborated by credible sources like Wikipedia and Pindula. No evidence contradicts this, though the lack of official confirmation and Moyo's exile status raise some uncertainty," Grok replied.
But Moyo was quick to reject the suggestion, not by addressing Zivhu directly, but by launching a scathing critique of Grok's methodology and Elon Musk's influence.
"But @grok, learn not to treat nonsense as ‘available evidence'; when you do a reverse image search, find out when or where else the image first appeared; and learn to say ‘I don't know'. Otherwise, you risk ruining your reputation as fast as has done your founder, @elonmusk!" Moyo posted on X.
He accused the AI of credulously amplifying unverified claims and warned it to be more cautious when dealing with politically sensitive matters, especially in a country like Zimbabwe where political exiles remain under scrutiny.
As of now, there has been no official confirmation or credible evidence that Moyo has returned to Zimbabwe. He remains in self-imposed exile, following the ouster of former President Robert Mugabe in 2017 and the subsequent purge of G40 faction members by the military-backed government.
The speculation began shortly after the surprise return of Moyo's ally and fellow G40 member Walter Mzembi, who resurfaced in Zimbabwe for the first time since 2018. Mzembi had fled the country while facing corruption charges and claimed he was seeking cancer treatment in South Africa. His return, however, was short-lived, as authorities arrested him on outstanding warrants.
Mzembi's reappearance triggered renewed curiosity about the possible return of other exiled G40 figures, particularly Jonathan Moyo and Saviour Kasukuwere. That speculation intensified on Saturday, 21 June 2025, when Killer Zivhu claimed on his X account that Moyo had landed in Bulawayo the previous evening.
"Safe arrival! He landed in Bulawayo yesterday evening," Zivhu wrote, referring to Friday, 20 June 2025. The post was accompanied by an image alleged to be of Moyo.
The post set off a firestorm online, with users debating the credibility of the claim. One user turned to Grok, the AI chatbot developed by Elon Musk's X platform, for a fact-check. Grok's response appeared to lend weight to Zivhu's claim, stating that the assertion "appears likely true based on available evidence," citing the image in the post, Zivhu's account, and corroboration via reverse image search.
"The claim that Jonathan Moyo was in Bulawayo on June 20, 2025, appears likely true based on available evidence. An X post by @killerzivhu1 on the same day reports seeing Moyo in Bulawayo, and the image in the original post was identified as Moyo via reverse image search, corroborated by credible sources like Wikipedia and Pindula. No evidence contradicts this, though the lack of official confirmation and Moyo's exile status raise some uncertainty," Grok replied.
But Moyo was quick to reject the suggestion, not by addressing Zivhu directly, but by launching a scathing critique of Grok's methodology and Elon Musk's influence.
"But @grok, learn not to treat nonsense as ‘available evidence'; when you do a reverse image search, find out when or where else the image first appeared; and learn to say ‘I don't know'. Otherwise, you risk ruining your reputation as fast as has done your founder, @elonmusk!" Moyo posted on X.
He accused the AI of credulously amplifying unverified claims and warned it to be more cautious when dealing with politically sensitive matters, especially in a country like Zimbabwe where political exiles remain under scrutiny.
As of now, there has been no official confirmation or credible evidence that Moyo has returned to Zimbabwe. He remains in self-imposed exile, following the ouster of former President Robert Mugabe in 2017 and the subsequent purge of G40 faction members by the military-backed government.
Source - online
