Tagwirei sparks Zanu-PF factional tensions

Business mogul Kudakwashe Tagwirei's bid to join Zanu-PF's powerful Central Committee has stirred controversy within the ruling party, with senior officials declaring his recent attendance at a party meeting unconstitutional.

Zanu-PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa confirmed that Tagwirei, a billionaire businessman and close ally of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, had not yet been formally approved to sit on the committee, describing his presence at last week's meeting as "procedurally wrong."

"The presidium was supposed to deliberate and endorse the appointment," Mutsvangwa said. "But whether it was for lack of proper advice from the Harare provincial leadership or personal ambition, he assumed it would be a headlong stampede. The constitution had to be read out to him."

Mutsvangwa emphasized that the party operates through strict structures and any member seeking such a position must be vetted and cleared through the presidium, which includes President Mnangagwa, Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga, and Second Secretary Kembo Mohadi.

Tagwirei is being backed by Zanu-PF's Harare provincial executive to be co-opted into the Central Committee, the party's highest decision-making body outside congress. However, his elevation is being resisted by a faction loyal to Chiwenga, revealing deeper tensions in the party's internal succession dynamics.

Sources say the delay in Tagwirei's formal co-option is not only procedural but also political, as rival factions jostle for influence ahead of the 2028 elections. Tagwirei has been widely linked to the "ED 2030" campaign, a faction pushing to extend Mnangagwa's leadership beyond his current term, sidelining Chiwenga in the process.

While Tagwirei has publicly denied ambitions to succeed Mnangagwa, his growing political activity and influence over state contracts have fueled speculation about his intentions.

"This kind of behaviour creates its own problems," Mutsvangwa said. "It flouts the party's guiding principles and tenets. It shows that you are not yet ready. He should perhaps start with the Herbert Chitepo School of Ideology."

Meanwhile, Zanu-PF's Harare provincial leadership is not backing down. Insiders say a new plan is underway to elevate Tagwirei into the province's top six, thereby streamlining his path to the Central Committee.

A key meeting scheduled for today at Batanai Primary School in Epworth is expected to finalise a proposal to remove George Chimhini, the current provincial secretary for finance, and replace him with Tagwirei. Chimhini is reportedly linked to the Chiwenga faction through his family ties to Sports Minister Anselem Sanyatwe.

"The plan is to create a vacancy and then appoint Tagwirei," a provincial source told The Standard. "Once he's in the top six, it will be easier to second him to the Central Committee."

Despite the constitutional issues, provincial leaders insist Tagwirei's appointment is "irreversible," reflecting the depth of support he enjoys within certain power circles.

Tagwirei has long been accused of benefitting from opaque government tenders and has played a central role in Zimbabwe's controversial fuel and mining sectors. Critics argue that his political rise marks a dangerous fusion of money and power, likening it to the emergence of oligarchs in post-Soviet Russia.

As the party heads toward the next election cycle, the battle over Tagwirei's role in Zanu-PF underscores the broader struggle for control of the party's future — and who will eventually succeed Mnangagwa.