Machakaire issues warning as Tungwarara's divisive rhetoric sparks tensions

The Zanu-PF Youth League has issued a stern warning to party members against divisive conduct at public rallies and on social media, amid growing factional tensions within the ruling party.

In a statement, Zanu-PF Secretary for Youth Affairs, Tino Machakaire, condemned the use of hate speech, inflammatory remarks, and public grandstanding, saying such behavior undermines party unity and distracts from its mission of national transformation.

"The Youth League calls upon the party rank and file to be champions of peace and tranquillity. Where differences arise, members should resolve them maturely and strictly within established party structures," Machakaire said. "The reckless use of hate speech, inflammatory statements, and public grandstanding only breeds confusion, undermines discipline, and weakens the unity of the party."

He stressed that Zimbabwe cannot be built through intolerance and disorder and reaffirmed the Youth League's commitment to the politics of production and development, reflecting President Emmerson Mnangagwa's mantra: "Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo / Ilizwe Lakhiwa Ngabanikazi Balo."

Machakaire warned that factionalism and divisive rhetoric are distractions that derail Zanu-PF's revolutionary mission, emphasizing that the Youth League, as the party's vanguard, will defend party unity and loyalty to its leadership.

The warning follows controversial remarks by Mnangagwa's investment adviser, Tempter Paul Tungwarara, at a rally in Nyanga over the weekend. During the event, which was held under the banner of an Empowerment Fund, Tungwarara publicly criticised Zanu-PF central committee member and party benefactor Kudakwashe Tagwirei, claiming he had pressured Mnangagwa to dismiss Vice-Presidents Constantino Chiwenga and Kembo Mohadi.

Tungwarara's tirade, which included cash handouts to two Manicaland constituencies, reportedly unsettled senior party leaders. Zanu-PF Deputy National Youth League Commissar Taurai Kandishaya questioned Tungwarara's role at domestic political rallies, noting his official mandate was limited to serving as Presidential Investment Adviser to the United Arab Emirates.

"Manicaland is not part of the UAE. Is it?" Kandishaya asked, challenging Tungwarara's involvement in local political mobilisation.

Tungwarara's remarks, interpreted as a direct attack on Tagwirei, were applauded by some rally attendees, including Zanu-PF politburo member Christopher Mutsvangwa, a known critic of Tagwirei. Former Norton legislator Temba Mliswa warned that Tungwarara risks being drawn into internal factional battles, suggesting his attack was part of a broader strategy by figures aligned to Vice-President Chiwenga's faction.

Mnangagwa, reportedly unimpressed by Tungwarara's public statements, has moved to rein in the adviser in an attempt to contain factional tensions and restore discipline within the party ahead of the 2028 elections.

With succession politics intensifying, analysts say Zanu-PF faces a delicate balancing act between maintaining unity and managing competing ambitions, including those of Tagwirei, Tungwarara, and Vice-President Chiwenga.

The Youth League's warning underscores the ruling party's determination to clamp down on internal divisions as Zimbabwe approaches a politically sensitive period.