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The office of Robert Mugabe has reportedly demanded recordings of Africa's Big Brother after a Zimbabwean contestant was beaten by a Nigerian in the final.

Mr Mugabe’s nephew and another political ally have launched a drive to raise £190,000 in compensation for Munya Chidzonga, 24, from Harare, after criticising the voting process as not “free and fair”.

Officials at MNET Africa, the continent-wide satellite television company which screens the show, said that Mr Mugabe’s office has also asked for recordings of the show’s Sunday final.

Mr Chidzonga, an actor whose nickname is Diamond Boy, first appeared on African Big Brother in 2008 but was invited back to take part in this year’s All Stars, which reunites the viewers’ 14 favourites characters. The Zimbabwean often walked around the house, in Johannesburg, South Africa, draped in his national flag and expressed a wish to meet Robert Mugabe.

Both he and Nigerian Uti Nwachukwu had won the votes of seven African countries each but Nwachukwu clinched the £127,000 prize after gaining the Rest of Africa vote.

The result sparked outrage in Zimbabwe, where there were claims that voting had been manipulated to please the larger Nigerian audience.

Telegraph

Mugabe hijacks Big Brother frenzy 'for political gain'

Political analysts have criticised Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe for handing over $300,000 (about £191,000) to the runner-up of Big Brother Africa.

Munyaradzi Chidzonga narrowly lost out to a Nigerian contestant, who won the reality TV show's $200,000 prize money.

A close Mugabe ally started a campaign to raise the $300,000 as many people felt voting on the show was unfair.

BBC