Zanu-PF youths promise to thwart planned protest

In a dramatic development reminiscent of the 2017 factional battles that reshaped Zimbabwe's political landscape, Zanu-PF youths have rallied behind President Emmerson Mnangagwa amid an ongoing power struggle with his deputy, Constantino Chiwenga.

At the launch of the Youth Fund in Harare on Thursday, Deputy Secretary for Youth Affairs, John Paradza, declared that the party's youth wing would spare no effort in thwarting any demonstrations planned by disgruntled war veterans. Paradza's comments came as tensions between Mnangagwa and Chiwenga continue to boil ahead of the party's elective congress in 2027.

The youth's fervent backing of Mnangagwa echoed events from 2017 when Zanu-PF youths like Kudzai Chipanga and Anastancia Ndhlovu were forced to publicly apologize after backing the late President Robert Mugabe in his factional fights, which ultimately saw him lose power. At Thursday's event, thousands of youths chanted "2030 ndeya ED" (2030 is for ED), in support of calls for Mnangagwa to stay in power beyond constitutional limits, a move that drew echoes of past political bravado.

In 2017, such acts of bravado resulted in public apologies, including one televised live on ZBC with the involvement of the military. The current scenario suggests a similar battle between factions within Zanu-PF, with Mnangagwa's loyalists now seeking to maintain his leadership amid rising dissent.

The war veterans, led by Blessed Geza, have planned a mass protest for March 31, calling for the resignation of President Mnangagwa and criticizing his government's handling of corruption and Zimbabwe's economic decline. Geza, who has been vocal in his criticism of Mnangagwa and his allies such as Wicknell Chivayo, Kudakwashe Tagwirei, and Martin Rushwaya, has thrown his support behind Chiwenga as the rightful successor to lead Zimbabwe through its current crisis.

“There are things being said on social media that there will be demonstrations. What I can assure you is that as long as I still deputize Machakaire in this wing, there will not be any demonstration,” Paradza declared, drawing loud applause from the crowd at the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC). “We do not lose sleep over utterances on social media, we want you to be at peace. Our duty as the youth league is to defend the President and the party.”

The escalating tensions have led to Geza being dismissed from Zanu-PF following his outspoken criticism of the leadership. Information Minister Jenfan Muswere dismissed Geza's remarks as “delusional,” adding that his rhetoric was nothing more than “polemic and reactionary grandstanding.” Zanu-PF swiftly acted to expel Geza, signaling the party's determination to suppress internal dissent.

The growing factionalism within Zanu-PF has seen Mnangagwa and Chiwenga, once allies in the 2017 coup that brought Mnangagwa to power, now pitted against each other. Despite Chiwenga's central role in orchestrating the coup, many believe he has been sidelined in the race for leadership. Zanu-PF infighting has extended beyond the party's headquarters, with even spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa openly criticizing Chiwenga, calling him “unelectable, cruel, and unlearned.”

As Zimbabwe approaches the 2027 congress, the rivalry between Mnangagwa and Chiwenga looks set to intensify, with the youth wing and war veterans playing pivotal roles in the battle for control of the party. The political drama unfolding within Zanu-PF underscores the deepening divisions as the party's leadership succession becomes ever more contentious.