Tagwirei blundered, says Mutsvangwa

Business tycoon Kudakwashe Tagwirei's presence at a recent Zanu-PF central committee meeting has been described as a violation of the party's constitution, potentially complicating his swift rise into the influential body, according to Zanu-PF spokesperson Chris Mutsvangwa.

Tagwirei, a former advisor to President Emmerson Mnangagwa, is reportedly backed by Zanu-PF's Harare provincial leadership for co-option into the central committee. However, his move has faced resistance from a faction aligned with Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga. His co-option was delayed due to procedural requirements, with Mutsvangwa stating that Tagwirei should have first been cleared by the party's presidium, comprising Mnangagwa, Chiwenga, and Kembo Mohadi, before attending any meetings.

"The presidium was supposed to deliberate and endorse the appointment, but whether it was due to poor advice from the Harare provincial leadership or personal ambition, he assumed it would be a headlong stampede," Mutsvangwa said. "It was procedurally wrong and the constitution had to be read out to him that ‘you are not yet a member and that you are coming into an institution with principles and guidelines.'"

Last week's central committee meeting in Harare was expected to approve Harare province's recommendation for Tagwirei's co-option. The central committee is the ruling party's principal organ and its highest decision-making body outside the congress. Members are typically elected through provincial structures, which also recommend co-options when vacancies arise.

Mutsvangwa hinted that Tagwirei might need to start from the party's grassroots or undergo training at the Herbert Chitepo School of Ideology to better understand party principles.

"This kind of behaviour creates its own problems because it flouts the constitution, the party guiding principles and tenets," he said. "It shows that you are not ready to be part of it and you may have to go back and understand where you are. Without that faux pas, the process would have taken its due course. This ignorance or naivety indicates that his beginning should be the Chitepo School of Ideology."

Efforts by Zanu-PF Harare provincial leadership to push Tagwirei's appointment appear ongoing. While Harare provincial chairman Goodwills Masimirembwa did not respond to calls, some provincial executives insisted Tagwirei's co-option was inevitable.

"Tagwirei is already a central committee member and it is irreversible," a provincial member told The Standard. "What happened last Wednesday was a mere setback, but we expect his co-option to be confirmed."

The Harare provincial executive is scheduled to meet today at Batanai Primary School in Epworth, officially to prepare for an upcoming municipal by-election. However, sources indicate that Tagwirei's central committee bid will dominate discussions.

"The plan is now to create a vacancy in the Harare top six and appoint Tagwirei so that he can now be seconded to the central committee," a Zanu-PF insider revealed. Masimirembwa's team is reportedly considering removing George Chimhini from the executive to make way for Tagwirei. Chimhini, a close relative of Sports Minister Anselem Sanyatwe-an ally of Chiwenga-is currently the provincial secretary for finance.

Despite speculation of his political ambitions, Tagwirei recently dismissed suggestions that he seeks to succeed President Mnangagwa. His name, however, remains linked to ongoing succession tussles within Zanu-PF, where Vice-President Chiwenga commands significant support from the security sector and liberation war veterans.