Chinamasa reposts deleted Tagwirei appointment tweet

ZANU PF Legal Affairs Secretary Patrick Chinamasa has reignited political debate after reposting a once-deleted tweet declaring businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei's controversial appointment to the party's Central Committee as "over and irreversible."

The move has amplified speculation of deepening rifts within the ruling party, with Tagwirei's co-option continuing to divide senior officials and grassroots members alike.

In his reposted statement, Chinamasa insisted that Tagwirei — a prominent party benefactor accused by critics of leveraging his wealth to secure political clout - was validly appointed following a recommendation by the Harare Provincial Coordinating Committee (PCC).

"The ZANU PF Department of Legal Affairs is relieved and takes note that the furore/controversy/confusion/wrangle/much ado about nothing/social media hype/misinformation/disinformation that surrounded Harare PCC's co-option of Cde Kudakwashe Tagwirei into the ZANU PF Central Committee is now over and irreversibly settled," Chinamasa wrote.

He outlined that the Harare PCC met on March 31, 2025, and formally recommended Tagwirei's appointment in a letter to ZANU PF Secretary General Obert Mpofu. According to Chinamasa, such recommendations are typically rubber-stamped and rarely, if ever, contested.

"We have never had to debate, let alone discuss, PCC recommendations of co-options into the Central Committee," he said. "The only explanation why the Tagwirei co-option has attracted such controversy may be because there are people out there who, for reasons best known to themselves, have an axe to grind."

Chinamasa's remarks, however, clash sharply with earlier statements from ZANU PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa, who dismissed Tagwirei's bid for a Central Committee seat and accused him of trying to "bribe" his way into the party's top ranks.

The conflicting positions have intensified speculation of factional maneuvering within ZANU PF, with political insiders suggesting that resistance to Tagwirei's rise is coming from a faction aligned to Vice President Constantino Chiwenga.

Tagwirei, a close ally of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, has been expanding his political footprint in what analysts say could be preparation for a future presidential bid. His deep pockets and proximity to the State House have positioned him as a powerful but polarising figure within the ruling party.

While Chinamasa praised Tagwirei's loyalty to ZANU PF and dismissed the backlash as "undeserved," the episode has laid bare the growing tensions between political loyalty, financial influence, and internal party democracy.

As ZANU PF heads towards internal elections and a potential leadership shake-up, Tagwirei's controversial co-option is shaping up to be a litmus test for the balance of power — and the role of money — in Zimbabwe's ruling elite.