News / National
Zanu-PF plot to oust Chiwenga thwarted
30 Mar 2025 at 15:43hrs | Views
A faction within Zimbabwe's ruling party, Zanu-PF, aligned with President Emmerson Mnangagwa, attempted to orchestrate the removal of Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga at last week's central committee meeting. However, their plans were derailed, highlighting the intensifying factional battles within the party.
Chiwenga has become a prime target of Mnangagwa's loyalists, who accuse him of resisting the Zanu-PF 2024 annual conference resolution that seeks to extend Mnangagwa's presidency until 2030. The former army general is alleged to be harboring presidential ambitions, with party spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa publicly asserting that the push for Mnangagwa's extended rule is meant to block Chiwenga from ascending to the presidency.
Tagwirei Touted as Replacement
Reports indicate that a faction within Zanu-PF now seeks to replace Chiwenga with Kudakwashe Tagwirei, a prominent businessman and key financial backer of the ruling party. Plans were reportedly in motion to co-opt Tagwirei into the central committee, paving the way for his eventual elevation into the presidium.
Tagwirei was scheduled to make a presentation at last week's central committee meeting in Harare as part of a resource mobilization committee. However, Chiwenga intervened, effectively blocking the move. A senior Zanu-PF official revealed that had Tagwirei been allowed to address the meeting, it would have triggered a coordinated campaign by party provincial structures to have him formally integrated into the central committee.
During the central committee meeting, Vice-President Chiwenga reportedly expressed shock upon discovering that Tagwirei and another Mnangagwa ally, Paul Tungwarara, were present in the gallery. He immediately questioned their attendance, given that neither were members of the central committee. Mnangagwa redirected the inquiry to Zanu-PF political commissar Munyaradzi Machacha, who justified their presence by stating they were set to make presentations on fundraising.
Unconvinced, Chiwenga insisted that the correct procedure would have been for the two to present their proposals to the commissar, who would then relay them to the central committee. Following his objection, Tagwirei and Tungwarara were escorted out of the meeting.
Masvingo provincial chairman Robson Mavhenyengwa later confirmed that his province supported efforts to have Tagwirei elevated to the central committee.
Chiwenga's detractors reportedly aimed to use social media activities as grounds for his removal. They accused him of allowing his backers to use online platforms to attack Mnangagwa. During the central committee meeting, Zanu-PF national chairperson Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri cited social media as a major threat to party cohesion, specifically pointing out instances where the president had been targeted.
Chiwenga, however, countered by suggesting that the central committee should draft a resolution promoting responsible social media use across the board to safeguard all party leaders, not just Mnangagwa. He warned that failing to regulate social media discourse could lead to serious divisions within Zanu-PF.
Amid the growing tensions, Zanu-PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa recently made a bold declaration against Chiwenga. In an interview with UK-based media platform DugUp, he alleged that Chiwenga had been pressuring Mnangagwa to anoint him as his successor—an expectation the president rejected.
“That guy wanted to be anointed to become president, to become a successor to the president,” Mutsvangwa claimed. “So you want to remove the president but before you do so, you want him to appoint you? How do you do that? You're squaring a circle! Mugabe used to say ‘I will nominate my successor,' but Mnangagwa is saying ‘No, we must go for elections.' That's normal for a democratic party.”
The latest developments underscore the deepening power struggle within Zanu-PF as factions jostle for influence ahead of the 2028 elections. While Mnangagwa's allies push to consolidate his grip on power beyond his constitutionally mandated two terms, Chiwenga's faction appears determined to challenge the move. With tensions reaching a boiling point, Zanu-PF's internal discord could shape the country's political landscape in the coming years.
Chiwenga has become a prime target of Mnangagwa's loyalists, who accuse him of resisting the Zanu-PF 2024 annual conference resolution that seeks to extend Mnangagwa's presidency until 2030. The former army general is alleged to be harboring presidential ambitions, with party spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa publicly asserting that the push for Mnangagwa's extended rule is meant to block Chiwenga from ascending to the presidency.
Tagwirei Touted as Replacement
Reports indicate that a faction within Zanu-PF now seeks to replace Chiwenga with Kudakwashe Tagwirei, a prominent businessman and key financial backer of the ruling party. Plans were reportedly in motion to co-opt Tagwirei into the central committee, paving the way for his eventual elevation into the presidium.
Tagwirei was scheduled to make a presentation at last week's central committee meeting in Harare as part of a resource mobilization committee. However, Chiwenga intervened, effectively blocking the move. A senior Zanu-PF official revealed that had Tagwirei been allowed to address the meeting, it would have triggered a coordinated campaign by party provincial structures to have him formally integrated into the central committee.
During the central committee meeting, Vice-President Chiwenga reportedly expressed shock upon discovering that Tagwirei and another Mnangagwa ally, Paul Tungwarara, were present in the gallery. He immediately questioned their attendance, given that neither were members of the central committee. Mnangagwa redirected the inquiry to Zanu-PF political commissar Munyaradzi Machacha, who justified their presence by stating they were set to make presentations on fundraising.
Unconvinced, Chiwenga insisted that the correct procedure would have been for the two to present their proposals to the commissar, who would then relay them to the central committee. Following his objection, Tagwirei and Tungwarara were escorted out of the meeting.
Masvingo provincial chairman Robson Mavhenyengwa later confirmed that his province supported efforts to have Tagwirei elevated to the central committee.
Chiwenga's detractors reportedly aimed to use social media activities as grounds for his removal. They accused him of allowing his backers to use online platforms to attack Mnangagwa. During the central committee meeting, Zanu-PF national chairperson Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri cited social media as a major threat to party cohesion, specifically pointing out instances where the president had been targeted.
Chiwenga, however, countered by suggesting that the central committee should draft a resolution promoting responsible social media use across the board to safeguard all party leaders, not just Mnangagwa. He warned that failing to regulate social media discourse could lead to serious divisions within Zanu-PF.
Amid the growing tensions, Zanu-PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa recently made a bold declaration against Chiwenga. In an interview with UK-based media platform DugUp, he alleged that Chiwenga had been pressuring Mnangagwa to anoint him as his successor—an expectation the president rejected.
“That guy wanted to be anointed to become president, to become a successor to the president,” Mutsvangwa claimed. “So you want to remove the president but before you do so, you want him to appoint you? How do you do that? You're squaring a circle! Mugabe used to say ‘I will nominate my successor,' but Mnangagwa is saying ‘No, we must go for elections.' That's normal for a democratic party.”
The latest developments underscore the deepening power struggle within Zanu-PF as factions jostle for influence ahead of the 2028 elections. While Mnangagwa's allies push to consolidate his grip on power beyond his constitutionally mandated two terms, Chiwenga's faction appears determined to challenge the move. With tensions reaching a boiling point, Zanu-PF's internal discord could shape the country's political landscape in the coming years.
Source - the standard
