Charamba retreats on Tagwirei attacks

Presidential spokesperson George Charamba and prominent businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei have mended relations following a heated exchange sparked by a controversial social media post that appeared to credit Tagwirei with leading a major government land reform initiative.

Tensions flared last week after a post from the X (formerly Twitter) account Land Tenure Beneficiaries @ElderTagwirei hailed Tagwirei - a close ally of President Emmerson Mnangagwa - as the architect of Zimbabwe's land tenure transformation under the Vision 2030 agenda.

"A New Era Led by Dr Elder Tagwirei," the post read. "Zimbabwe is undergoing a transformative shift in land ownership, spearheaded by Elder Kudakwashe Tagwirei, chairperson of the Land Tenure Implementation Committee… aiming to empower citizens especially youth and women through secure land ownership and economic opportunity."

The post appeared to suggest that Tagwirei was the driving force behind the land programme, prompting an irate response from Charamba, who dismissed the messaging as misleading and dangerously divisive.

"IT IS THIS KIND OF COMMUNICATION I JUST FIND DISGUSTING!!!" Charamba wrote on X. "The Land Tenure Programme is a programme of the Government of Zimbabwe led by President ED Mnangagwa. He appoints persons to implement it; those persons neither own nor lead it... Why try and draw a wedge between the President and CDE Tagwirei through such reckless communication done under a coat of arms of the Zimbabwe Government?"

In what was widely interpreted as a thinly veiled jab at Tagwirei, Charamba also took to the platform days earlier to denounce individuals receiving honorary doctorates, which many viewed as a reference to Tagwirei, who holds such a title.

However, in a dramatic reversal, Charamba later issued a statement walking back his criticisms after speaking directly with Tagwirei.

"SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT: I have just been on the phone with ELDER TAGWIREI," Charamba posted. "He categorically denies any link with accounts pretending association with him, including the one calling itself Land Tenure Programme, and another calling itself Friends of Elder Tagwirei."

According to Charamba, Tagwirei disowned the accounts and agreed they were likely operated by political mischief-makers attempting to exploit divisions within the ruling party.

"He confirms the suspicion I have always held: that these accounts were created and are being run by crooks and/or anti-ZANU PF political activists who either seek to curry favour, or to cause disquiet in the ruling party. They will achieve neither!!!!!," Charamba added.

The public spat and subsequent reconciliation shed light on the sensitivities within Zimbabwe's ruling elite, where unofficial praise campaigns and competing power narratives are increasingly playing out in the digital space.

Despite the row, both men now appear aligned in distancing themselves from the anonymous social media pages, and reaffirming that the land tenure programme is firmly under the direction of President Mnangagwa.