News / National
Battle over Zanu-PF co-option process
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Zanu-PF is scrambling to finalise an internal circular clarifying its co-option procedures following a fierce internal dispute over the controversial attempt to usher businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei into the party's powerful Central Committee.
The move comes amid intensifying infighting within the ruling party, as the unresolved succession battle between President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his deputy, Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga, spills into public view and fractures party structures.
At the heart of the storm is the contentious co-option of Tagwirei - a politically influential tycoon with vast business interests - into the Central Committee, a development that has sparked deep divisions across Zanu-PF's senior ranks.
The circular, currently being drafted through the offices of Zanu-PF national political commissar Munyaradzi Machacha and secretary-general Obert Mpofu, seeks to bring clarity to the murky and highly politicised process of co-opting new members into key party structures.
Co-option, often used to fill vacant party posts between elective congresses, has long been a grey area in Zanu-PF's internal governance. But Tagwirei's case has turned the practice into a political flashpoint.
Although the Politburo was said to have adopted Tagwirei's co-option by consensus last Wednesday, after a report presented by Machacha, his brief appearance at the Central Committee meeting the following day ended dramatically. Sources said Chiwenga, who has grown increasingly wary of Tagwirei's rising influence and alleged proximity to Mnangagwa, personally ordered his removal from the meeting.
The development sent shockwaves through the party and exposed the ongoing battle for control of Zanu-PF's future leadership. While Tagwirei has publicly denied harbouring presidential ambitions, some party insiders suspect he is being positioned as a kingmaker or potential successor, especially given his financial muscle.
The ensuing dispute has prompted the party to revisit its co-option process, following separate formal approaches by the Harare and Masvingo provinces requesting Tagwirei's inclusion in the Central Committee.
While Harare Province's request ultimately succeeded, Chiwenga-aligned forces intervened to block Tagwirei's confirmation, deepening suspicions and power struggles within the party.
Party insiders say the motivation for Tagwirei's co-option stems more from his wealth and business influence than any proven political capital. This has angered a faction of veterans and cadres who view his inclusion as an affront to party loyalty and grassroots mobilisation traditions.
The Zanu-PF constitution was amended at the 2022 elective congress, and now contains more explicit language on co-option procedures. Section 554 states: "Any office which falls vacant in any organ of the party shall be filled by co-option within three months by consensus. In cases where two candidates emerge, a simple majority of the appropriate organ will constitute a quorum to make the co-option."
The revised constitution also insists that, "where the vacant offices, other than the Central Committee, are one-third of the total membership, an organ shall be deemed to have automatically dissolved." Furthermore, replacements must come from the same administrative district as the outgoing member.
Previously, the constitution had excluded the Central Committee from co-option provisions, but the 2022 changes broadened the scope - albeit with limitations.
The lack of consensus and the political tension around Tagwirei's attempted co-option has, however, exposed procedural gaps and internal contestation over what is meant by "consensus" and who has the authority to enforce it.
As the succession question lingers, Zanu-PF's top brass is now under pressure to standardise co-option processes in a way that prevents factional hijacking and preserves internal coherence.
Efforts to reach Machacha and Mpofu for comment were unsuccessful by the time of publication.
For now, Tagwirei remains a potent symbol of the broader battles roiling Zanu-PF - where money, loyalty, ambition and succession are colliding in ways that threaten to destabilise the party from within.
The move comes amid intensifying infighting within the ruling party, as the unresolved succession battle between President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his deputy, Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga, spills into public view and fractures party structures.
At the heart of the storm is the contentious co-option of Tagwirei - a politically influential tycoon with vast business interests - into the Central Committee, a development that has sparked deep divisions across Zanu-PF's senior ranks.
The circular, currently being drafted through the offices of Zanu-PF national political commissar Munyaradzi Machacha and secretary-general Obert Mpofu, seeks to bring clarity to the murky and highly politicised process of co-opting new members into key party structures.
Co-option, often used to fill vacant party posts between elective congresses, has long been a grey area in Zanu-PF's internal governance. But Tagwirei's case has turned the practice into a political flashpoint.
Although the Politburo was said to have adopted Tagwirei's co-option by consensus last Wednesday, after a report presented by Machacha, his brief appearance at the Central Committee meeting the following day ended dramatically. Sources said Chiwenga, who has grown increasingly wary of Tagwirei's rising influence and alleged proximity to Mnangagwa, personally ordered his removal from the meeting.
The development sent shockwaves through the party and exposed the ongoing battle for control of Zanu-PF's future leadership. While Tagwirei has publicly denied harbouring presidential ambitions, some party insiders suspect he is being positioned as a kingmaker or potential successor, especially given his financial muscle.
The ensuing dispute has prompted the party to revisit its co-option process, following separate formal approaches by the Harare and Masvingo provinces requesting Tagwirei's inclusion in the Central Committee.
While Harare Province's request ultimately succeeded, Chiwenga-aligned forces intervened to block Tagwirei's confirmation, deepening suspicions and power struggles within the party.
Party insiders say the motivation for Tagwirei's co-option stems more from his wealth and business influence than any proven political capital. This has angered a faction of veterans and cadres who view his inclusion as an affront to party loyalty and grassroots mobilisation traditions.
The Zanu-PF constitution was amended at the 2022 elective congress, and now contains more explicit language on co-option procedures. Section 554 states: "Any office which falls vacant in any organ of the party shall be filled by co-option within three months by consensus. In cases where two candidates emerge, a simple majority of the appropriate organ will constitute a quorum to make the co-option."
The revised constitution also insists that, "where the vacant offices, other than the Central Committee, are one-third of the total membership, an organ shall be deemed to have automatically dissolved." Furthermore, replacements must come from the same administrative district as the outgoing member.
Previously, the constitution had excluded the Central Committee from co-option provisions, but the 2022 changes broadened the scope - albeit with limitations.
The lack of consensus and the political tension around Tagwirei's attempted co-option has, however, exposed procedural gaps and internal contestation over what is meant by "consensus" and who has the authority to enforce it.
As the succession question lingers, Zanu-PF's top brass is now under pressure to standardise co-option processes in a way that prevents factional hijacking and preserves internal coherence.
Efforts to reach Machacha and Mpofu for comment were unsuccessful by the time of publication.
For now, Tagwirei remains a potent symbol of the broader battles roiling Zanu-PF - where money, loyalty, ambition and succession are colliding in ways that threaten to destabilise the party from within.
Source - online
