ZIMBABWEAN Big Brother Africa rejects Rockford ‘Roki’ Josphats and Maneta Mazanhi have come under fire from two past stars on the M-Net TV show.
Vimbai Mutinhiri, who reached the penultimate week last year, and Munya Chidzonga, runner-up the previous year, took to Twitter to condemn Roki and Maneta after they were kicked off the show on Tuesday for fighting.
Vimbai (@miss_vimbai), now host of her own TV show on Africa Magic, blasted: “I get so many emails daily from young Zimbabweans who want to represent their country and uplift themselves. Sad Roki and Maneta waste the opportunity.”
She accused the pair of “seeing each other as competition so early in the game”, dramatised by Roki’s repeated nomination of his compatriot for eviction.
“They could have gone far," she went on. "Life is a journey, I just hope they learn from this experience and use it positively for the future."
Munya, who was honoured by President Robert Mugabe for representing his country well on the show, was asked by a fan if he had given Maneta and Roki tips before they went on the show.
“Well, you can take the monkey out the jungle but...,” he joked.
Munya (
@nyumay) admitted he had backed Roki to win the US$300,000 prize at the end of the show’s 91-day run.
He added: “Shame I feel bad for Roki… Well let’s just say I feel worse for Zimbabwe.”
Maneta and Roki’s feud has been threatening to boil over since the Bulawayo lass joined the singer in the Upville house after surviving eviction in the first week.
She rebuffed Roki’s romantic overtures, and he responded by nominating her – which Maneta soon became aware of.
Despite both the Zimbabweans vowing to stay out of each other’s way, they constantly clashed leading to Tuesday’s flare-up.
The 21-year-old Maneta, nominated for eviction a third time – the highest number of any other housemate – was already nursing a healthy suspicion Roki had put her on the chopping block again before the 27-year-old singer doused her with water on her weave.
Maneta grabbed some cleaning liquid and squeezed it in Roki’s face. He took a swing at her but she ducked, and both were kicked off the show.
Big Brother told them: “Maneta and Roki you have both contravened the provocation rule, repeatedly...
“Big Brother asked you both to show restraint – and neither of you did. As you are both no doubt aware, you have left Big Brother with absolutely no choice. In terms of the House Rules you have both been disqualified from the game.”
Roki and Maneta have been offered counselling and anger management treatment before they fly back to Zimbabwe from Johannesburg.