Mnangagwa's betrayal of Chiwenga spells danger

Political commentator Chipo Musarurwa Siziba has warned that President Emmerson Mnangagwa's alleged betrayal of Vice President General Constantino Chiwenga signals a dangerous drift in Zimbabwe's power politics.

Posting on her X (formerly Twitter) account, Musarurwa Siziba said loyalty in Zimbabwe's corridors of power is often a temporary virtue - rewarded when convenient, discarded when threatening.

"The political fallout between President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Vice President Constantino Chiwenga is not merely a personal rupture; it is a seismic shift that exposes the fragility of Zimbabwe's post-coup political architecture. As a political analyst, I am compelled to call this what it is - a betrayal. And not just of General Chiwenga, but of the gentleman's agreement made to Zimbabweans in 2017, when the military-assisted transition was sold as a new dawn," she wrote.

Musarurwa Siziba said Chiwenga was instrumental in Mnangagwa's rise to power, citing his command of the armed forces and orchestration of former President Robert Mugabe's removal. At the time, the alliance between soldier and politician appeared unbreakable - but Mnangagwa's subsequent actions have reportedly rewritten that narrative.

She alleged that Mnangagwa is grooming businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei as a potential successor outside the agreed succession plan, while empowering youth leaders to undermine Chiwenga and strategically isolating him from key decision-making circles.

"This is not succession planning - it is succession sabotage. President Mnangagwa's political instincts are sharp. He understands that power in Zimbabwe is not inherited - it is defended. By neutralizing General Chiwenga, he removes the last major figure with both military clout and political legitimacy to challenge his rule," she posted.

Musarurwa Siziba warned that such moves risk destabilizing ZANU-PF's internal balance and could provoke discontent within the military, which has long been a silent stakeholder in Zimbabwean governance. She added that the public, already weary of economic hardship and political stagnation, may view this as another betrayal of the promises made in the post-Mugabe era.

"Zimbabwe's governance cannot afford to be held hostage by elite rivalries. The Mnangagwa–Chiwenga fallout is emblematic of a broader dysfunction - a political culture where personal ambition trumps national interest, and where loyalty is transactional, not principled," she said.

"The consequences are real. Policy paralysis, institutional erosion, and public disillusionment are the inevitable outcomes of a leadership obsessed with self-preservation."

Musarurwa Siziba clarified that her analysis is not a defense of Chiwenga, but a defense of accountability.

"Zimbabweans deserve leaders who serve, not scheme. The betrayal of General Chiwenga is a warning - when loyalty is punished and service is politicized, no one is safe, not even the kingmakers. It is time for Zimbabwe to rise above the politics of betrayal. Public office must be reclaimed as a platform for service, not a battleground for succession. The future of this nation depends on it," she concluded.