Robson Mhandu Biography

Background

Robson Mhandu grew up in the Sadza area of Chikomba district. His father was a general worker in a parastatal. For his Ordinary Level education, he attended Kwenda and Sadza secondary schools, and he later attended Harare High School for his Advanced Levels. He graduated from the University of Zimbabwe with a BSc Honours in Sociology in 1990. He later earned a Master’s in Business Administration from the Success Institute in South Africa in 2002 and obtained several media and management certificates between 1997 and 2012.

Career

Mhandu is a veteran journalist who has held various roles in media and corporate management:

• Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC): He worked at ZBC from 1991 to 2010, beginning as a junior officer and eventually leaving as a general manager. He returned to ZBC in September 2018 as Director of Productions and Television Services. He later worked as the Director of Radio Services.
• Other Corporate Roles: In 2010, he became the head of marketing and corporate services for the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority. He subsequently joined Kalamazoo Business Systems Group International in 2012. He also served as the Director of Marketing and Business Development for Zimbabwe Open University.
• Awards: He received the "Outstanding leader in Marketing Award" at the Megafest Business Awards in 2016.

Political Involvement

Mhandu joined the Zanu-PF party in 1983. He participated in youth activities in Chitungwiza and at the University of Zimbabwe. Following his departure from ZBC in 2009, he became involved in the Seke 1 District executive in Chitungwiza, serving as the secretary for finance. In the 2013 elections, he ran unsuccessfully as a Zanu-PF candidate for the Chitungwiza North Constituency, securing 41.81% of the vote.

Controversy

In September 2023, ZBC reportedly suspended Mhandu following allegations of sexual harassment. He was accused of demanding sexual favors from a female presenter in exchange for approving her transfer request. The allegations were exposed through audio recordings and WhatsApp messages between the two.

Personal Life

Mhandu is married to his wife, Patience, and they have four children. He is a member of the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe.