Mnangagwa regime targets Kasukuwere

Former Cabinet minister and Zanu PF national political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere has emerged as a primary target of President Emmerson Mnangagwa's intensifying crackdown on political dissent, as the ruling regime seeks to neutralise perceived threats from within its own ranks and the wider opposition.

The escalation comes amid fears within the Mnangagwa camp of a coordinated effort to oust him from power - spearheaded by disgruntled war veterans, exiled political heavyweights, and even members of the ruling party's own top echelons.

Security sources who spoke to The NewsHawks on condition of anonymity say Kasukuwere is seen as one of the kingpins behind a broader political uprising dubbed the "March 31 Movement," fronted publicly by war veterans' leader Blessed Geza but allegedly backed by high-profile figures, including Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga.

"Chiwenga is viewed by Mnangagwa and his loyalists as the shadowy architect of the campaign against the president," said one source. "But former G40 figures like Kasukuwere are considered the real masterminds and enablers behind the scenes. He has become a prime target of the system."

Currently exiled in Johannesburg, South Africa, Kasukuwere fled Zimbabwe during the November 2017 coup that toppled the late President Robert Mugabe, narrowly escaping a military raid on his Glen Lorne home in Harare. Alongside fellow G40 allies such as Jonathan Moyo, Walter Mzembi, Patrick Zhuwao, Mandi Chimene, and Godfrey Gandawa, he became part of a political diaspora accused of plotting against the Mnangagwa-led post-coup government.

Although Kasukuwere briefly returned to Zimbabwe in 2018 in an effort to mend fences, his bid failed amid threats of arrest, and he left the country once again. Since then, he has emerged as a vocal critic of Mnangagwa's administration, further drawing the ire of the ruling elite.

In 2023, Kasukuwere attempted a political comeback by seeking to contest in the presidential elections, but he was barred from the race through legal and political maneuvers. Government officials warned that he would be arrested upon setting foot in Zimbabwe - a threat that now seems more urgent than ever.

"They want him dead or alive," a senior security source told The NewsHawks, indicating that Mnangagwa's loyal faction within the security services has stepped up efforts to track and possibly eliminate Kasukuwere.

This pursuit is part of a wider witch-hunt aimed at rooting out figures suspected of collaborating with the rebellious war veterans' faction, which has publicly called for Mnangagwa's removal. The president is reportedly alarmed by growing dissent within the party and fears a full-blown mutiny.

At the center of the political storm is the bitter succession struggle between Mnangagwa and Chiwenga, a conflict that has split Zanu PF and threatens to plunge the country into further instability. The 2030 campaign - Mnangagwa's controversial push to extend his rule - has only deepened divisions, with opponents accusing the president of attempting to subvert the constitution to cling to power.

Sources say Mnangagwa is purging rivals from key state institutions and the ruling party, tightening his grip in anticipation of an explosive political showdown.

As Zimbabwe braces for potentially turbulent months ahead, the targeting of exiled politicians like Kasukuwere signals that Mnangagwa's regime is entering a new, more dangerous phase in its bid to crush dissent and preserve its hold on power - no matter the cost.