Sikhala urges opposition to exploit Zanu-PF factional fights

Firebrand opposition politician and former MP Job Sikhala has called on opposition forces to take advantage of the growing tensions between President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Vice President Constantino Chiwenga's factions within Zanu-PF, urging them to stoke further divisions within the ruling party.

Sikhala, a long-time government critic, argues that Zanu-PF has long been instrumental in engineering divisions within the opposition, particularly the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), which has suffered multiple splits over the years. He sees the current internal strife in the ruling party as an opportunity for the opposition to strike back.

Zanu-PF has been grappling with internal divisions since the 2017 coup that ousted long-time ruler Robert Mugabe, allowing Mnangagwa to take power with military backing. While the ruling party has largely managed to keep its factional struggles hidden, recent tensions have resurfaced, particularly over Mnangagwa's alleged bid to extend his rule beyond the constitutional two-term limit.

This push for an extension has met resistance, especially from war veterans aligned with Chiwenga, who have openly vowed to block Mnangagwa's ambitions. Political observers warn that these factional fights could pose a serious national security threat, especially given Zimbabwe's history of military intervention in politics.

The unresolved 2018 Bulawayo bomb attack at a Zanu-PF rally, where both Mnangagwa and Chiwenga narrowly escaped death, remains a stark reminder of the stakes involved in Zimbabwe's high-level power struggles.

Reverend Kenneth Mtata, director of programmes at the World Council of Churches, recently warned that Zanu-PF's internal conflicts extend beyond the party, saying, "How succession is handled impacts democratic governance, national unity, civil-military relations, and the quality of leadership in Zimbabwe as a whole."

Sikhala, one of Zimbabwe's most combative opposition figures, has long accused Zanu-PF of orchestrating divisions within opposition ranks. He claims the ruling party has used state security agencies to infiltrate and destabilize opposition movements, citing the 2020 takeover of Harvest House—the MDC's headquarters—by a faction aligned with the ruling establishment.

In a fiery post on his X (formerly Twitter) account, Sikhala urged opposition forces to take advantage of the current cracks within Zanu-PF.

*"Zanu-PF has been an active participant in the factional fights in the opposition since time immemorial. They abetted, funded, encouraged, and actively participated in the opposition, tearing each other apart. They use the state apparatus such as the CIO and others to actively steer confusion.

"If the opportunity arises to contribute to the confusion in the house of the Zanu-PF devils, don't wait. Seize the opportunity for the revenge mission. Actively fan the confusion. Steer the fight until the evil party has completely got obliterated from the face of the earth!!!"*

The MDC, formed in 1999, has suffered repeated splits over the years, significantly weakening the opposition movement. The most notable division came in 2008 when Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC-T and Arthur Mutambara's MDC-M ran separately in elections. Their combined 109 parliamentary seats outnumbered Zanu-PF's 97, while Tsvangirai secured 47.9% of the presidential vote against Mugabe's 43.2%, forcing a controversial runoff.

The splintering continued even after the opposition rebranded into the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC). Sikhala blames Zanu-PF for actively fueling these divisions and now wants the opposition to retaliate by exacerbating the ruling party's internal conflicts.

As Zanu-PF's factional battles intensify, it remains to be seen whether the opposition can capitalize on the cracks in the ruling establishment or if it will remain entangled in its own internal disputes.