Tagwirei dishes out over 300 vehicles to Zanu-PF central committee members

Zanu-PF benefactor and Sakunda Holdings boss Kudakwashe Tagwirei was allowed into the party's politburo on Wednesday to make a presentation on "resource mobilisation."

Tagwirei, rumoured to be harbouring ambitions to be president, has entered frontline politics following his recent co-option into the Zanu-PF central committee.

He will attend his first meeting of the central committee on Thursday.

A Zanu-PF source said: "Tagwirei attended the politburo as the party's biggest donor to discuss fundraising initiatives to strengthen the party.

"He was there to essentially make a presentation on resource mobilisation. He also discussed his plan to capacitate all senior leaders of the party by giving them vehicles."

Tagwirei, who made his fortune from state contracts awarded without tender, is set to give all central committee members - 300 strong - an off-road Ford vehicle while members of the politburo will each receive a Toyota VX 300, according to a source familiar with the plan.

Tagwirei has not publicly discussed his plans to run for the Zanu-PF presidency when President Emmerson Mnangagwa's term ends at a congress in 2027, but his moves to control the party's organs will rile his rivals, among them vice president Constantino Chiwenga and Christopher Mutsvangwa.