Zanu-PF warns Tagwirei

ZANU-PF will not tolerate businessmen who join the ruling party with secret ambitions to take power, party spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa has warned, amid growing speculation that influential businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei is positioning himself for the presidency.

Speaking to journalists in Harare, Mutsvangwa issued a stern reminder that while the party is open to welcoming individuals from the business community, it would resist any perceived attempts to hijack its internal processes for personal political gain.

"Anybody is free to join ZANU-PF, whether you are a businessman, a farmer, whatever," said Mutsvangwa. "If businessmen in their numbers begin to gravitate towards the party, we applaud that. We like it. But what will be wrong is to say, ‘I am getting into the party so that I can become this or that  -  so that I can become the president.' That is not the purpose of joining the party."

His comments come after reports that Tagwirei, one of Zimbabwe's most prominent business figures, was recently nominated by the party's Harare Province to the powerful ZANU-PF Central Committee  -  the highest decision-making body outside of Congress. His nomination is currently awaiting approval from the party's Secretary General, Obert Mpofu.

If confirmed, Tagwirei's rise would mark a significant step into formal politics for the businessman, who has long been seen as a key ally of President Emmerson Mnangagwa and a central figure in Zimbabwe's economic landscape.

Though Tagwirei has not publicly expressed presidential ambitions, his growing presence within ZANU-PF has fuelled speculation that he may be eyeing the top job once Mnangagwa's final term ends in 2028. Mutsvangwa, however, issued a clear caution: "ZANU-PF will winnow out any people who may have hidden ambitions other than following the structures of the party."

"Hopefully all the businessmen who come into the party are coming to serve ZANU-PF, not to serve themselves. Because serving themselves will not take them anywhere  -  just like presidents who went haywire, we removed them," he added, referencing past leadership purges within the ruling party.

As succession talk swirls within ZANU-PF, two main factions appear to be forming: one advocating for a constitutional extension of Mnangagwa's presidency beyond 2028, and another backing Vice President Constantino Chiwenga as his natural successor. Mnangagwa, for his part, has reiterated his commitment to serving only two terms, in line with the national constitution, but he has not rebuked those lobbying for his stay.

The internal tensions are expected to intensify as ZANU-PF navigates its path toward the next election cycle, with figures like Tagwirei now stepping into the political spotlight  -  and under scrutiny.