It has emerged the garrulous Chinotimba only crossed into Mozambique in 1979, just before the ceasefire that ushered in the Lancaster House talks.
He was a refugee and never a guerrilla war fighter. Chinotimba has no war record, and bonafide war veterans this week challenged him to put his war credentials on the table.
Wilfred Mhanda, the former commander of Mgagao military camp in Tanzania whose liberation war name was Dzinashe Machingura, said that he could not trace Chinotimba’s war record.
He said that the only information he had gathered was that Chinotimba crossed into Mozambique in late 1979 where he joined scores of other refugees.
“We would have known him if he was a war veteran. He crossed into Mozambique in 1979 towards the ceasefire. Chinotimba is not a war veteran. Where did he train and who trained him? Other people’s war records are clear, why not his?” Mhanda asked.
"Chinotimba’s war veteran status is a creation of the press.” Another war veteran Jason Mhara, whose nom de guerre was TNT, said: "Why don’t you ask him where he trained? Who were his commanders?
Because the records are there. Ask him to show you his war records."
Chinotimba was infuriated about the inquiry into his war credentials. "Who are you?" he yelled. "Who wants this information, who? Is it the British? No I don’t want," he screamed before the line went dead.
When we called back, he shouted that we must consult his commanders. Asked who his commanders were, he screamed that he did not want to speak to "destroyers of my country."
General Solomon Mujuru has also queried Chinotimba's liberation war credentials, according to Politburo sources.
Mujuru was the commander of the Zanla forces in Mozambique and was deputy to the late national hero Josiah Tongogara who died in a car accident in 1979.
Mujuru reportedly questioned why the party was feting him with swanky cars and houses when he never participated in the liberation struggle and ahead of more deserving cadres.
Chinotimba is on a full war veterans pension benefits even though he was just a refugee. Refugees are not entitled to pension benefits.
Chinotimba has amassed incredible wealth with a Marlborough house and another in the ghetto, a thriving security company he got through his association with the council, a fleet of cars including Jeep Cherokees, a Mercedes Benz and several 4×4 vehicles.
Post published in: News