Neville Mutsvangwa detention exposes Mnangagwa, Chiwenga rift?

In a scathing attack, Zanu-PF spokesman Chris Mutsvangwa has implicated Vice President Constantino Chiwenga in the arrest and detention of his son, Neville, on charges of illegal currency trading.

Mutsvangwa claims Chiwenga is behind the move, aimed at driving a wedge between him and President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Neville Mutsvangwa, 44, was arrested last Wednesday and denied bail on Monday this week with the next remand date set for May 30. His father, Chris, has vehemently denied the charges, calling it "political victimisation."

In an interview with The Standard, Mutsvangwa launched a veiled attack on Chiwenga, questioning his war credentials and ambition to succeed Mnangagwa as president.

He claimed to have established that Mnangagwa was not behind the arrest, implying that Chiwenga was acting unilaterally.

Mutsvangwa boasted of his long-standing relationship with Mnangagwa, dating back to 1978 when he was a 22-year-old recruit to Mnangagwa's office. He emphasized his loyalty, saying, "I don't answer to ambitious individuals."

"I was already working with the president," Mutsvangwa said.

"I think that proximity to him, my proximity to the president, they think through their post-independence proximity to the president they can influence him against me, or me against him.

"It's an impossibly long shot for the power ambitious to ever think they can drive a wedge into such a long, strong and revolutionary acquaintance between me and the president.

"Persecuting my son as a carrot and stick to that nefarious enterprise will never yield the much-craved outcome."

The incident highlights the internal power struggles within Zanu-PF, pitting Mnangagwa's allies, including the Mutsvangwas, against Chiwenga's military-backed faction.

Since the 2017 coup that ousted Robert Mugabe, the party has been plagued by infighting, purges, and political instability.

The case has sparked concerns about the independence of Zimbabwe's judiciary, with over 100 people arrested on similar charges denied bail. The outcome of Neville Mutsvangwa's case will be a test for the judiciary's impartiality.

The case has exposed internal squabbles in Zanu-PF, putting Mnangagwa and Chiwenga at the centre of the rifts.

There are reports that Mnangagwa is seeking a third term in office despite constitutional term limits. Mnangagwa, who is serving his second and last term, has allegedly been maneuvering to extend his rule beyond the two-term limit stipulated in Zimbabwe's constitution.

The recent statements by Zanu-PF youths from Masvingo suggesting a potential third term bid have drawn criticism from opposition parties and civil society groups, who accuse him of attempting to subvert democratic norms and entrench his power.

The fierce resistance against Mnangagwa's plans is reportedly coming from his deputy, Chiwenga, whom Chris Mutsvangwa describes as "ambitious."