Harare — Zimbabwe’s Youth Minister Tino Machakaire has issued a veiled rebuke to powerful people who take advantage of their proximity and influence to intimidate women and other citizens.

The comments come soon after controversial businessman Wicknell Chivayo’s ex wife Sonja Madzikanda and her mother Tabitha spent days behind bars before they were released following the withdrawal of charges by the latter.

Machakaire called on the powerful people in society to show restraint and respect for women.

In a post on X on Friday, the youth minister warned against the use of influence and wealth to intimidate others. The remarks however have been allegedly seen as directly targeting Chivayo’s handling of his family conflict.

The post did not mention the businessman by name, but came amid a highly publicized legal feud in which Chivayo pressed charges against his former wife, Sonja, and her mother, Tabitha, over allegations of cyberbullying.

“As a father, I believe one of the greatest responsibilities of a man is to honour and appreciate the woman who carries and nurtures the children that become part of his family,” Machakaire wrote. “In doing so, respect for her family becomes a true reflection of one’s character, maturity and values”.

The minister emphasized that true leadership is not demonstrated through intimidation or the misuse of power against vulnerable groups.

“True leadership is not demonstrated through intimidation, abuse of authority or the misuse of influence against others, especially women and the elderly,” he said, urging young Zimbabweans to embrace dignity, peace and integrity even during emotionally charged disputes.

His comments come just days after Sonja and Tabitha Madzikanda were arrested and remanded in custody following allegations linked to cybercrime and the circulation of digital content.

Prosecutors allege that during the subsistence of the marriage between Chivayo and Sonja, the latter accessed Chivayo’s cellphone without authorization and downloaded several photographs and videos, which she later shared with her mother.

The dispute intensified with allegations involving images connected to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, which Chivayo has accused his former mother-in-law of circulating.

Chivayo eventually withdrew the charges on Friday, saying he had forgiven the two women for the sake of his children. However, he defended the decision to have them arrested and insisted he had no regrets.

Machakaire concluded his message by calling for peace and responsible conduct.

“Our children learn more from our conduct than from our words,” he wrote. “Peace begins with me. Peace begins with you. Peace begins with all of us”.

Machakaire’s intervention is one of the first public comments by a senior government official that appears to indirectly criticize how the matter was handled, underscoring the political sensitivity of the family dispute that has drawn widespread public attention due to allegations of AI-manipulated images and questions surrounding the influence of law enforcement