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Mnangagwa's camp left in disarray
3 hrs ago |
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President Emmerson Mnangagwa's loyalists have been thrown into confusion after Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga publicly exposed alleged plans to suspend elections for a decade - a move believed to be part of efforts to extend the 83-year-old leader's rule beyond 2028.
Chiwenga, who has emerged as the strongest critic of the so-called "2030 agenda", told a recent Zanu-PF politburo meeting that a controversial document titled Breaking Barriers Initiative (BBI): Putting Zimbabwe First was being used by government and Parliament to justify a plan to postpone elections and secure Mnangagwa's extended stay in power.
The BBI document, leaked just before the ruling party's Mutare annual conference last month, has ignited a fierce scramble within Zanu-PF to control the narrative surrounding possible constitutional and governance reforms.
The 68-page paper, which circulated widely on social media, outlines timelines for legislative amendments purportedly under the "auspices of the Parliament of Zimbabwe." It claims the initiative seeks to "detoxify politics" and "end disputed elections" by delaying elections for up to 10 years in favour of a "national governance transition".
It presents itself as a parliamentary effort to strengthen policy coherence and end "winner-takes-all politics" - language that critics say masks an attempt to consolidate power under Mnangagwa.
The BBI controversy is the latest in a series of leaks that have rocked both Zanu-PF and government in recent months, exposing deep mistrust and poor coordination between Cabinet, Parliament and the party.
Presidential spokesperson George Charamba recently admitted that forged and leaked state documents were being circulated by insiders, warning of "sabotage" within government ranks.
Zanu-PF insiders say the leaks have heightened anxiety at the highest levels of government, as rival factions trade blame over the exposure of sensitive political manoeuvres.
Justice minister and Zanu-PF legal affairs secretary Ziyambi Ziyambi confirmed during a politburo meeting that the BBI document existed, saying it was first brought to his attention by Sengezo Tshabangu, the self-imposed Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) secretary-general, accompanied by a General Khumalo from Chiwenga's office.
"It is surprising how the writer got hold of the Building Bridges Initiative document if it was meant for Parliament," Ziyambi said, insisting the report was not harmful but "actually promotes nation-building".
He described it as "an opposition document" that sought to improve relations between Zanu-PF and the opposition, adding:
"As a party, we should appreciate the relationship with the opposition, which has been beneficial to us."
Tshabangu - who has been widely accused of being a Zanu-PF proxy after seizing control of the CCC and recalling its MPs - has openly supported extending Mnangagwa's term beyond 2028.
Yet, within days of acknowledging the report, Ziyambi disowned the BBI, issuing a statement dismissing it as "unsubstantiated, unverified, and possibly fabricated".
He said multiple legal experts had submitted proposals on implementing Zanu-PF's Resolution Number 1 (passed at last year's conference), but insisted no formal decision had been made.
"My office cannot comment on or verify the authenticity of the circulating document, which may, in all likelihood, be spurious or manipulated," he said in the statement.
However, analysts say Ziyambi's conflicting statements have only fuelled suspicions that the government is struggling to contain internal divisions over the term-extension debate.
Political analyst Rejoice Ngwenya said the BBI document lacked both legitimacy and constitutional grounding, describing it as a "clumsy political experiment".
"This whole thing tries to usurp the authority of citizens and hand it to Parliament, whose legitimacy is already questionable," Ngwenya said.
"The BBI is just a proposal - a paper without legitimacy. If it's meant to push a motion in Parliament, it can't succeed without a referendum."
Another analyst, Maxwell Saungweme, said Ziyambi's mixed responses reflected "panic management" within Zanu-PF.
"You can see elite discohesion," he said. "One day, they acknowledge the document, the next they deny it. That's what happens when the ruling party is unsure of its message."
Saungweme added that many ministers were "political chameleons" who could easily change positions if public sentiment turned against the 2030 agenda.
"Zanu-PF elites shift with the wind. We've seen it before," he said.
Opposition CCC leader Jameson Timba said the BBI leak exposed the government's awareness that Zimbabwe's political system has become too toxic to sustain without reform - but warned that the proposal amounted to an unconstitutional power grab.
"The real issue is not the rebuttal, but what the BBI proposes - a roadmap to the 2030 agenda, extending presidential tenure under different guises," Timba said.
"Our position is simple: respect the Constitution. No amendment should benefit the incumbent. If you insist on change, take it to the people through a referendum."
He added:
"Open the files. Publish the BBI-linked drafts and meeting records. Zimbabwe can pursue reform without breaking the social contract."
Mnangagwa has publicly said he will not seek to stay in power beyond 2028, but the Zanu-PF conference in Mutare resolved to "facilitate legal reforms" enabling his continued leadership until 2030.
The move has deepened tensions with Chiwenga, who is seen as the frontrunner to succeed the President.
Party insiders say Mnangagwa's allies have sought to frame the term-extension debate as an effort to prevent a return to military dominance under Chiwenga, while some sources claim the President prefers businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei as his eventual successor.
Zanu-PF spokesperson Chris Mutsvangwa earlier this year claimed the 2030 agenda was Mnangagwa's strategy to block Chiwenga's path to power - echoing the same factional manoeuvres that led to Robert Mugabe's ouster in 2017.
With the BBI leak now in the open, political observers say the succession battle has entered a dangerous new phase.
"The BBI has exposed what everyone knew but couldn't say - that the fight to shape Zimbabwe's post-2028 political order is already underway," one analyst said.
"This is no longer about governance reform. It's about survival."
Chiwenga, who has emerged as the strongest critic of the so-called "2030 agenda", told a recent Zanu-PF politburo meeting that a controversial document titled Breaking Barriers Initiative (BBI): Putting Zimbabwe First was being used by government and Parliament to justify a plan to postpone elections and secure Mnangagwa's extended stay in power.
The BBI document, leaked just before the ruling party's Mutare annual conference last month, has ignited a fierce scramble within Zanu-PF to control the narrative surrounding possible constitutional and governance reforms.
The 68-page paper, which circulated widely on social media, outlines timelines for legislative amendments purportedly under the "auspices of the Parliament of Zimbabwe." It claims the initiative seeks to "detoxify politics" and "end disputed elections" by delaying elections for up to 10 years in favour of a "national governance transition".
It presents itself as a parliamentary effort to strengthen policy coherence and end "winner-takes-all politics" - language that critics say masks an attempt to consolidate power under Mnangagwa.
The BBI controversy is the latest in a series of leaks that have rocked both Zanu-PF and government in recent months, exposing deep mistrust and poor coordination between Cabinet, Parliament and the party.
Presidential spokesperson George Charamba recently admitted that forged and leaked state documents were being circulated by insiders, warning of "sabotage" within government ranks.
Zanu-PF insiders say the leaks have heightened anxiety at the highest levels of government, as rival factions trade blame over the exposure of sensitive political manoeuvres.
Justice minister and Zanu-PF legal affairs secretary Ziyambi Ziyambi confirmed during a politburo meeting that the BBI document existed, saying it was first brought to his attention by Sengezo Tshabangu, the self-imposed Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) secretary-general, accompanied by a General Khumalo from Chiwenga's office.
"It is surprising how the writer got hold of the Building Bridges Initiative document if it was meant for Parliament," Ziyambi said, insisting the report was not harmful but "actually promotes nation-building".
He described it as "an opposition document" that sought to improve relations between Zanu-PF and the opposition, adding:
"As a party, we should appreciate the relationship with the opposition, which has been beneficial to us."
Tshabangu - who has been widely accused of being a Zanu-PF proxy after seizing control of the CCC and recalling its MPs - has openly supported extending Mnangagwa's term beyond 2028.
Yet, within days of acknowledging the report, Ziyambi disowned the BBI, issuing a statement dismissing it as "unsubstantiated, unverified, and possibly fabricated".
He said multiple legal experts had submitted proposals on implementing Zanu-PF's Resolution Number 1 (passed at last year's conference), but insisted no formal decision had been made.
"My office cannot comment on or verify the authenticity of the circulating document, which may, in all likelihood, be spurious or manipulated," he said in the statement.
However, analysts say Ziyambi's conflicting statements have only fuelled suspicions that the government is struggling to contain internal divisions over the term-extension debate.
Political analyst Rejoice Ngwenya said the BBI document lacked both legitimacy and constitutional grounding, describing it as a "clumsy political experiment".
"This whole thing tries to usurp the authority of citizens and hand it to Parliament, whose legitimacy is already questionable," Ngwenya said.
"The BBI is just a proposal - a paper without legitimacy. If it's meant to push a motion in Parliament, it can't succeed without a referendum."
Another analyst, Maxwell Saungweme, said Ziyambi's mixed responses reflected "panic management" within Zanu-PF.
"You can see elite discohesion," he said. "One day, they acknowledge the document, the next they deny it. That's what happens when the ruling party is unsure of its message."
Saungweme added that many ministers were "political chameleons" who could easily change positions if public sentiment turned against the 2030 agenda.
"Zanu-PF elites shift with the wind. We've seen it before," he said.
Opposition CCC leader Jameson Timba said the BBI leak exposed the government's awareness that Zimbabwe's political system has become too toxic to sustain without reform - but warned that the proposal amounted to an unconstitutional power grab.
"The real issue is not the rebuttal, but what the BBI proposes - a roadmap to the 2030 agenda, extending presidential tenure under different guises," Timba said.
"Our position is simple: respect the Constitution. No amendment should benefit the incumbent. If you insist on change, take it to the people through a referendum."
He added:
"Open the files. Publish the BBI-linked drafts and meeting records. Zimbabwe can pursue reform without breaking the social contract."
Mnangagwa has publicly said he will not seek to stay in power beyond 2028, but the Zanu-PF conference in Mutare resolved to "facilitate legal reforms" enabling his continued leadership until 2030.
The move has deepened tensions with Chiwenga, who is seen as the frontrunner to succeed the President.
Party insiders say Mnangagwa's allies have sought to frame the term-extension debate as an effort to prevent a return to military dominance under Chiwenga, while some sources claim the President prefers businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei as his eventual successor.
Zanu-PF spokesperson Chris Mutsvangwa earlier this year claimed the 2030 agenda was Mnangagwa's strategy to block Chiwenga's path to power - echoing the same factional manoeuvres that led to Robert Mugabe's ouster in 2017.
With the BBI leak now in the open, political observers say the succession battle has entered a dangerous new phase.
"The BBI has exposed what everyone knew but couldn't say - that the fight to shape Zimbabwe's post-2028 political order is already underway," one analyst said.
"This is no longer about governance reform. It's about survival."
Source - The Standard
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