CIO Minister wades into Zanu-PF internal spats

Zanu-PF has directed its members to immediately stop attacking one another in public and on social media, warning that the growing culture of open infighting is eroding party discipline, unity and its founding values.

In a statement issued this week, Zanu-PF Secretary for Security Lovemore Matuke said the party was alarmed by what he described as "disturbing developments" in which both senior officials and ordinary members have been openly denigrating each other at rallies and across online platforms.

"We are deeply concerned by the developments we are witnessing within our party, where senior leaders and ordinary members alike are openly attacking one another at public rallies and across social media platforms," Matuke said.

He said such conduct was inconsistent with the traditions and discipline that have sustained Zanu-PF for decades, warning that it risks bringing the ruling party into disrepute at a time of heightened public scrutiny.

Matuke said Zanu-PF was founded on the principles of unity, respect and collective responsibility, which he argued had enabled the party to withstand both internal and external challenges since independence.

"Our party has always been a home for all Zimbabweans who believe in the ideals of the liberation struggle," he said, adding that party membership carried responsibilities as well as rights.

Using family imagery, Matuke urged members to resolve disputes internally rather than airing grievances in public forums.

"Each of us, whether a senior leader or an ordinary card-carrying member, must remember that we are one family. Families do not insult one another in public, nor do they tear each other apart before the world," he said.

He cautioned that taking factional and personal disputes to rallies, newspapers and social media weakens the party and benefits its political opponents.

"When we take our internal disagreements to rallies, newspapers and social media, we do more harm than we realise. We weaken the party and give comfort to those who wish to see it divided," Matuke said.

The warning comes amid rising reports of factional tensions within Zanu-PF, often playing out publicly through rival rallies, leaks and coordinated social media campaigns.

Matuke said the party has internal structures - including the youth wing, the main wing and senior elders - specifically designed to manage grievances and resolve disputes away from the public eye.

"Differences of opinion will always exist in any living organisation, but how we handle those differences matters," he said, calling on leaders to exercise humility, restraint and kindness, and warning against the intimidation or belittling of ordinary members.

He also urged party members to unite behind President Emmerson Mnangagwa, saying internal conflicts were distracting the party from governance priorities and the Vision 2030 development agenda.

"We cannot afford to be distracted by personal quarrels and small fights when the future of Zimbabwe demands our full attention," Matuke said.

The appeal for unity underscores growing unease within the ruling party over increasingly visible internal divisions, which critics say reflect deeper struggles over power, succession and access to state resources.

Matuke concluded by urging members to recommit to unity and collective purpose, warning that those who fuel divisions are undermining the party's long-term political project.

"Only together can we fulfil what we claim is our mission and build a better Zimbabwe for future generations," he said.