Biti warns of disaster if Tagwirei ascends to Zimbabwe's Presidency

Former opposition MP and finance minister Tendai Biti has sounded alarm over the possible political elevation of controversial businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei, warning that his rise to the presidency would spell disaster for Zimbabwe.

Biti's remarks came during a recent online discussion, where he sharply criticised the growing influence of Tagwirei within the ruling ZANU-PF party. Tagwirei, widely viewed as a close ally and key financier of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, was recently nominated by ZANU-PF's Harare Province to serve in the party's influential Central Committee.

"The next president could be Kudakwashe Tagwirei, and that would be a total disaster," Biti said. "The rise of this blank, totally vacuous comrado elite - so proximate to the seat of power - spells trouble for Zimbabwe."

The remarks follow claims by former ZANU-PF member and liberation war veteran Blessed Geza, who alleged that Tagwirei's Central Committee nomination is part of a broader plan to position him as Mnangagwa's successor.

Tagwirei, the founder of Sakunda Holdings, has long been accused of leveraging his political connections for personal enrichment. His company was awarded numerous state contracts, including the multi-million-dollar Mbudzi Interchange flyover in Harare, and has played a central role in the controversial Command Agriculture programme.

Between 2017 and 2018, Sakunda was implicated in the misappropriation of approximately US$3 billion from the Ministry of Agriculture. Tagwirei has denied any wrongdoing, but his dealings have attracted international scrutiny, including sanctions from the United States, which accuse him of enabling corruption among top Zimbabwean officials.

Beyond agriculture, Tagwirei holds dominant interests in Zimbabwe's fuel sector and is active in the mining industry. He also chairs the Land Tenure Implementation Committee, giving him considerable influence over state resources.

Biti expressed concern that Tagwirei's rise signals a shift in power dynamics within ZANU-PF, away from liberation-era war veterans to what he described as a new class of parasitic elites.

"The vacuum left by the departure of the liberation generation is being filled by parasitic comrades with no social base, no shame, and no restraint - individuals who conflate themselves with the state. Some are being fast-tracked to the presidium," Biti said.

Tagwirei has not publicly responded to the allegations or speculation about his political ambitions. However, his increasing visibility within ZANU-PF and control over key economic sectors have fuelled speculation about his long-term intentions.

Amid deepening factional battles within the ruling party, Tagwirei's growing prominence could significantly influence Zimbabwe's political future, raising questions about transparency, governance, and the future of democratic reform in the country.