Career
He rose to prominence during the invasions of white-owned commercial farms that started after the 2000 referendum in Zimbabwe. He is widely regarded as a militant ZANU-Public Finance cadre with unquestionable allegiance to the old guard of the ruling party. He is the President of the Zimbabwe Federation of Trade Unions and the National Vice-Chairman of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association.
Chinotimba worked as a security guard for the Harare City Council before 2000.
He joined the police section of the Municipal Council in 1982 and eventually became chief inspector. In 2006 it is reported that Chinotimba "allocated" himself a plot of land in the western suburb of Mabelreign along Clevering Road and built himself a house.
The land was always traditionally held for the construction of churches. In 2007 during "Operation Murambatsvina", construction of the house was delayed but the structure was spared and is now his official residence.
He has led the Zimbabwe Federation of Trade Unions, a grouping that was formed to counter the influence of the restive Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU).
During the parliamentary elections of 2005, Chinotimba ran for the Highfield seat. Reports indicated that he tried to buy votes by giving voters money and food. He lost the seat. The Courts
At one time, war veterans led by Joseph Chinotimba invaded the Supreme Court to influence decisions regarding the land question.
2007 Robert Mugabe endorsement
Mugabe was nominated as the ZANU-Public Finance candidate at the congress.
In late 2007, Chinotimba announced his intention to contest for the Buhera South constituency, a seat that Kumbirai Kangai had held since 1980, in the March Popular musician Alick Macheso was among others who joined Chinotimba to bolster his prospects of winning the seat. Chinotimba was successful in being nominated by ZANU-Public Finance as its 2008 candidate for the Buhera South constituency.
On 20 May 2008, Southwest Radio Africa reported that Chinotimba led a militia group to murder Chokuse Mupango, popularly known as Nyoka, the election strategist for Nemadziva Naison, who was beaten and stabbed to death. Chinotimba"s car was used to ferry Nyoka to Mutiusinazita Clinic and then to Birchenough Bridge Mortuary where Chinotimba and his accomplices disguised Nyoka as a slain ZANU-Public Finance supporter.
Chinotimba made sure that Nyoka"s body was not collected and when it was later collected he made sure that no post-mortem was carried on the body by first of all instilling fear into the hearts of some of Nyoka"s militant sons.
Chinotimba resigned as chief inspector of the municipal police at the Harare City Council in July 2008 to concentrate on his work in politics and business.
