HARARE – President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s bid to remain in power beyond the two terms permitted by the constitution has triggered an internal revolt within the ruling Zanu PF party, led by the very man who paved the way for his rise eight years ago. That rivalry is now spilling into the provinces, where grassroots support will be crucial for a decisive constitutional amendment. Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, the former army general who orchestrated the 2017 military coup that ousted long-time ruler Robert Mugabe, is now locked in a public showdown with President Mnangagwa ahead of a pivotal party conference next month.
In a dramatic twist to the simmering power struggle, Chiwenga presented Mnangagwa with an explosive dossier accusing petroleum magnate Kudakwashe Tagwirei of looting billions of US dollars from Zanu PF. Tagwirei, a controversial businessman under US and UK sanctions for allegedly fuelling corrupt networks that sustain Mnangagwa’s rule, is being touted as the president’s preferred successor. There have been concerted efforts to install him within Zanu PF structures.
A long-time financier of the party since the Mugabe era, Tagwirei has pledged $3 million for the October 13 conference, which is expected to pass a resolution extending Mnangagwa’s term by two years beyond its scheduled end in 2028. Chiwenga’s dossier, tabled during a meeting of the party’s top decision-making body, the politburo, a week ago, threw the cat among the pigeons. It triggered a series of events that have laid bare the intensifying factionalism within the ruling party.
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Mnangagwa’s loyalists are mobilising party structures to pass a resolution at the October 13-18 conference to extend the 83-year-old leader’s term. The proposed extension, which would require a constitutional amendment to remove the two-term limit for presidents, has deeply divided Zanu PF. Retired General Chiwenga opposes the extension, which would derail his own presidential ambitions.
In the dossier, Chiwenga alleged that Tagwirei had siphoned $3.2 billion from Zanu PF through opaque investments now being used to buy support for a third term. He called for the immediate arrest of Tagwirei and Chivayo, as well as the recovery of the looted funds. Zanu PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa dismissed the dossier, describing it as part of a destabilisation campaign driven by power-hungry individuals.
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