Harare – The simmering tensions within Zimbabwe’s ruling Zanu-PF party have reached boiling point, with revelations emerging of a clandestine plot by President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s loyalists to remove Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga from his influential position.
The dramatic move, which was reportedly thwarted at last week’s central committee meeting, underscores the escalating power struggles and factionalism threatening to destabilise the party.
Chiwenga, the former army general who played a pivotal role in the ousting of Robert Mugabe in 2017, has increasingly become a target of Mnangagwa’s inner circle. Accusations against the Vice-President centre on his alleged opposition to Zanu-PF’s controversial resolution at the 2024 annual conference to extend Mnangagwa’s term in office until 2030.
Adding fuel to the fire, Zanu-PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa publicly disclosed that the 2030 plot was specifically designed to prevent Chiwenga from ascending to the presidency, further exposing the deep-seated animosity between the two factions.
Sources within Zanu-PF have revealed that Mnangagwa loyalists are now pushing for Chiwenga to be replaced by Kudakwashe Tagwirei, a wealthy businessman and prominent benefactor of the ruling party. Tagwirei’s growing influence within Zanu-PF has raised eyebrows, with many viewing him as a potential kingmaker and a key player in the succession battle.
Plans were reportedly underway to co-opt Tagwirei into the central committee, the party’s top decision-making body outside of congress. He was slated to make a presentation at last week’s central committee meeting in Harare, but these plans were ultimately scuttled by Chiwenga’s direct intervention, according to a senior Zanu-PF official.
The strategy involved allowing Tagwirei to make a presentation as part of a resource mobilisation committee, which would then be followed by a carefully orchestrated campaign by Zanu-PF provincial structures to elevate him into the central committee.
Once a member of the central committee, the path would be cleared for a concerted effort to install Tagwirei into the presidium, effectively replacing the increasingly isolated and out-of-favour Vice-President Chiwenga.
The central committee meeting was preceded by a tense politburo gathering, where President Mnangagwa delivered a stern address railing against indiscipline within the party. While not explicitly naming Chiwenga, the tone and content of Mnangagwa’s remarks were widely interpreted as being targeted at the Vice-President’s faction.
Zanu-PF sources revealed that Chiwenga was taken aback during a briefing session when it was announced that Tagwirei and another Mnangagwa ally, Paul Tungwarara, would be making presentations at the central committee meeting.
Both Tagwirei and Tungwarara were already present in the gallery, prompting Chiwenga to demand an explanation as to why non-members were attending such a crucial meeting.
Mnangagwa reportedly deferred the question to Zanu-PF commissar, Munyaradzi Machacha, for clarification.
“Machacha told the VP that the two were supposed to make presentations on fund raising,” a central committee member disclosed.
Chiwenga, however, was not satisfied with this explanation and insisted on adhering to established protocol.
“Chiwenga told him that the procedure should be that they make the presentations to the commissar who will then present in the central committee,” the source added.
Chiwenga then demanded that Tagwirei and Tungwarara be escorted out of the meeting, effectively thwarting the plan to fast-track Tagwirei’s entry into the party’s upper echelons.
Further evidence of the push to elevate Tagwirei comes from Masvingo provincial chairman, Robson Mavhenyengwa, who confirmed in an interview with TellZim that the province was indeed seeking Tagwirei’s elevation to the central committee.
According to sources familiar with the intricacies of the plot, the justification for removing Chiwenga would be based on the claim that he has allowed his supporters to use social media platforms to launch attacks against President Mnangagwa.
At the central committee meeting, Zanu-PF chairperson Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri delivered a presentation on the state of the party, singling out social media as the most significant threat to Zanu-PF’s cohesion.
“She raised a point on attacks against the president on social media as a major concern,” another source revealed.
In response, Chiwenga reportedly told the meeting that the central committee must formulate a resolution on responsible social media usage to prevent further division and potential implosion within the party.
“Chiwenga said if the central committee fails to solve the social media problem, it would be tantamount to inviting war,” the source stated, highlighting the gravity of the situation.
Chiwenga’s call for responsible social media usage was supported by a woman from Mashonaland West, who argued that it was not only Mnangagwa who deserved protection from social media abuse, but all party leaders. This suggests a growing concern within Zanu-PF about the potential for social media to exacerbate internal divisions and undermine party unity.
Chiwenga’s camp firmly believes that Tagwirei has become an increasingly influential power broker within Zanu-PF and is being strategically positioned for higher office, potentially at the expense of the Vice-President himself.
Efforts to reach Zanu-PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa for comment on the latest developments were unsuccessful. However, in a recent interview with a UK-based news platform, DugUp, Mutsvangwa was highly critical of Chiwenga’s alleged presidential ambitions.
Mutsvangwa claimed that Chiwenga had attempted to pressure Mnangagwa into anointing him as his successor, a demand that the President has steadfastly rejected.
“That guy wanted to be anointed to become president, to become a successor to the president,” Mutsvangwa said, pulling no punches in his assessment of Chiwenga’s alleged aspirations.
“So you want to remove the president but before you do so you want him to appoint, to annoint you. How do you do that? You’re squaring a circle!” Mutsvangwa exclaimed, highlighting the perceived illogicality of Chiwenga’s alleged strategy.
Mutsvangwa further alluded to the differences in approach between Mnangagwa and his predecessor, Robert Mugabe, on the issue of succession.
“(Robert) Mugabe used to say I will nominate, I will give you my successor but the president (Mnangagwa) is saying no, we must go for elections. That’s normal for a democratic party,” Mutsvangwa stated, suggesting that Mnangagwa is committed to a more democratic and transparent succession process.
The escalating infighting within Zanu-PF raises serious questions about the stability of the party and the future direction of Zimbabwe. The power struggle between Mnangagwa and Chiwenga, coupled with the emergence of Tagwirei as a potential contender, has created a volatile and unpredictable political landscape.
