By Paul Nyathi|Veteran ZBC News reporter Judith Makwanya died this morning at a Harare hospital just hours after being admitted with an emergency medical condition, according to a notice from the Ministry of Information.

Her death has raised major eyebrows as it comes shortly after a social media WhatsApp chat group discussion amongst the state broadcaster news men was leaked.

In the leaked chat an official identified as Judith and highly suspected to have been Makwanya wrote “hatiende kunoita zvisina basa zvematuzvi. Havana dhiri, plus he is rocked with scandals” (We are not going to a worthless event. These people are useless).

Then another official by the name Merit, suspected to be news reporter Merit Munzwembiri responded saying: “ED anyura, zvatopera apa hachapabudi” (Ed is finished, he will not get out of this).

The same Merit is quoted as having criticized the move by the Mnangagwa administration to increase fuel prices saying “dai vari VaMugabe havaimbodaro and this government has failed” (Mugabe would not have done that).

Then another official by the name Josh Mutali asked: “Ko muchaita sei vanhu venyu zvavave kudzingwa” (What will you do now that your people are being fired).

The chats further accused the ZBC chief executive officer Patrick Mavhura of having been working for the ousted G40 faction by giving instructions to reporters.

Zimbabweans have received news of Makwanya’s death as a shock and social media critics have quickly blamed President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s security system for her death.