Zanu-PF fissures over zvigananda widen

A storm is brewing within Zanu-PF as war collaborators have circulated a petition defending State Security Minister Lovemore Matuke over claims that he did not participate in Zimbabwe's liberation struggle.

The dispute erupted during a recent Zanu-PF politburo meeting in Harare, after Matuke reportedly accused Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga of harboring presidential ambitions. The allegations came shortly after Chiwenga presented a dossier alleging corruption among allies of President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Chiwenga, known for his aggressive stance against businesspeople he labels "zvigananda" - individuals accused of exploiting their Zanu-PF connections to loot state resources - is said to have retaliated by questioning Matuke's liberation war credentials.

The move has angered a section of war collaborators, who argue that such attacks belittle their contributions to the country's independence.

"We write with deep concern regarding recent comments made by some senior leaders of our party, Zanu-PF, which disrespect the contributions of war collaborators," the petition reads. "Specifically, we are troubled by remarks about Comrade Matuke, which implied that he never participated in the war effort. It is on record that Comrade Matuke, like many others, played a vital role in the liberation of Zimbabwe as a war collaborator."

The petitioners emphasised that the liberation struggle was a collective effort and warned that dismissing the role of war collaborators fosters division within the party. They also raised concerns over delays in gazetting the names of war collaborators, suggesting that some senior leaders were deliberately holding back recognition.

"The party must instruct the government to speed up the gazetting of war collaborators' names as their vetting has been completed," the petition demands. "As members of Zanu-PF, we are all equal and must treat each other with the utmost respect."

Zanu-PF director of information Farai Marapira responded by affirming the party's commitment to recognising all who participated in the liberation struggle. "As Zanu-PF, we respect all participants of the liberation struggle and anything contrary to that is not true," he said.

The controversy comes amid ongoing factionalism within Zanu-PF, largely linked to succession battles. Politician Temba Mliswa recently suggested that businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei is Mnangagwa's chosen successor, according to leaked audios. In a separate leaked phone call, businessman Agrippa Masiyakurima alleged that Mliswa was funded to lead an anti-Chiwenga campaign - claims Mliswa reportedly did not deny.

Zanu-PF is scheduled to hold its elective congress in 2027 to choose the next party leader and presidential candidate for the 2028 elections, though a faction loyal to Mnangagwa is reportedly pushing for the 2028 elections to be postponed to 2030.

The feud over Minister Matuke's liberation war role underscores growing tensions within Zanu-PF, as war collaborators assert their importance and resist perceived marginalisation amidst the party's high-stakes internal power struggles.