Victoria Manase Biography | Age, Children, Businesses, King Lobengula Comments and Aftermath
This is the biography of Victoria Manase, a Zimbabwean TV presenter currently employed by the State broadcaster ZBC. On 10 January 2024, she and co-presenter Farai Juliet Magada were suspended after making controversial statements about 19th-century Ndebele King Lobengula while discussing apartheid in South Africa.
Manase suggested that Lobengula had sold the country for sugar, presenting a historical narrative that was deemed tribalistic. This incident occurred during the broadcast of Wednesday’s Good Morning Zimbabwe.
The comments made by Manase caused a significant backlash on social media.
Age
Victoria Manase was born on 7 December.
Children
Victoria Manase’s daughter (Image: Ndeipi/Facebook)
Apart from her professional life, Victoria Manase is a mother to a daughter.
Businesses
Samsara: African Fashion Brand
In addition to her career in television, Manase is a fashion designer with her own brand called “Samsara.” This brand specializes in casual, corporate, and formal African print wear. The name “Samsara” was chosen by Manase with the intention of rejuvenating African fashion. Derived from Buddhism, the name “Samsara” means rebirth or starting anew.
Manase started Samsara in December 2015 out of her passion for Ankara fabric and a desire to introduce contemporary designs, addressing what she perceived as outdated fashion trends.
Also Read: Moe Chanda Biography| Profile, Real Name, Age, Parents, Siblings, Marital Status, Education
King Lobengula Comments and Aftermath
In January 2024, Manase attributed colonial-era abuses on black people by whites to King Lobengula, alleging that he had been enticed by sugar. These comments sparked controversy and triggered a social media uproar.
As a result of the fallout, Minister of Information, Publicity, and Broadcasting Services Jenfan Muswere took decisive action. He not only suspended Victoria Manase and her co-presenter for their remarks but also dismissed the ZBC board led by Dr Josaya Tai.
The decision was influenced not only by the controversial Lobengula comments but also by broader concerns related to key performance and corporate governance issues at ZBC. The members of the board affected by this decision included Thomas Bvuma, Tsitsi Dangarembizi, Heliate Rushwaya, Dorothy Mabika, Devnanda Popatla, Reverend Thompson Dube, and Brian Mutangandebvu.
