Zimbabwe is buzzing after shocking claims surfaced that ZNA recruitment has “gone sugar” — meaning hopeful youths are being quietly told they need extra payments, favours or connections before they can even dream of wearing the uniform. What was supposed to be a fair national process has suddenly turned into the biggest recruitment scandal of the year, igniting outrage both at home and in the diaspora.
According to social-media testimonies, some applicants who travelled long distances with clean certificates and passed fitness checks were abruptly turned away with vague messages like “pane zvinhu zvinoda kuitwa”, while others whispered about “special gates” for those who came with “sugar.” The phrase has now exploded online, becoming a symbol of youth frustration in a country where the army is seen as one of the last reliable employers.
For thousands of desperate job-seekers, this alleged “pay-to-enter” system feels like a betrayal. Videos, memes, and voice notes are circulating rapidly as young people expose what they say is a gatekeeper network sitting between them and national service. If true, this would be a massive embarrassment for the military, whose reputation depends on discipline and fairness.
As the storm intensifies, Zimbabweans are demanding accountability and transparency, warning that “No sugar, no uniform” cannot become the new national slogan.
Is this the beginning of a bigger institutional shake-up — or just another scandal that fades away?
The nation is watching. The youth are angry. And the story is far from over.
