Tagwirei's 'Chigananda' remark rattles Charamba

President Emmerson Mnangagwa's close ally, businessman Kuda Tagwirei, has ignited a political storm after publicly endorsing the use of the derogatory term "Chigananda" to describe certain Zanu-PF-linked businessmen commonly referred to as ‘tenderpreneurs.'

Speaking at an event held over the weekend at Masvingo Polytechnic College as part of the "Leadership Success Series" programme, Tagwirei urged Zimbabwean youths to embrace government-led economic empowerment initiatives designed to fast-track national economic transformation.

Tagwirei emphasized that the Second Republic under President Mnangagwa had created a favourable environment for indigenous Zimbabweans to build wealth  -  wealth that translates into power, which he equated metaphorically to "an army."

During the event, Tagwirei invited several successful young entrepreneurs to the podium, including his mentee Obey Chimuka, proprietor of Fossil Contracting. The company has been awarded numerous road construction contracts nationwide and was recently involved in the construction of the Mbare Musika Market.

While introducing Chimuka, Tagwirei controversially labelled him a "Chigananda," a term widely regarded as derogatory and used to describe greedy or corrupt individuals. The term was popularized recently by Vice President Constantino Chiwenga during calls to eradicate grand corruption in Zimbabwe. Its plural form is "Zvigananda."

Tagwirei said:

"This is Obey Chimuka, the owner of Fossil Contracting. He has done so many projects and some people think his projects are my projects…his company is also behind the recent construction of the Mbare Musika Market…he is a Chigananda."

The endorsement of the term "Chigananda" drew cheers from the audience, but also raised eyebrows, particularly because Chimuka himself is listed under United Kingdom sanctions and also owns Khaya Cement, previously known as LaFarge.

Kuda Tagwirei, who serves as Chief Executive Officer of Sakunda Holdings and Chairperson of the controversial Land Tenure Implementation Committee, faced backlash from within government ranks over his remarks.

George Charamba, President Mnangagwa's spokesperson, took to his private X account ‘Dhonzamusoro007' to publicly express disapproval of Tagwirei's comments. Charamba tweeted:

"My message to Zimbabweans. We can never grow and develop when we give wealth-generating initiatives derogatory names!!!
Title is key to capitalism we live under. Simply, we must learn to play the game. Unless we want socialism and can have it!!!"

Charamba's rebuke highlighted a division within ruling circles over the framing of economic empowerment and the language used to describe beneficiaries linked to government contracts.

The incident adds to ongoing debates about corruption, patronage, and economic empowerment in Zimbabwe's ruling party, with many observers watching closely as the narrative around ‘tenderpreneurs' continues to unfold amid efforts to stimulate indigenous participation in the economy.