Mpofu has been demoted to the marginal position of Secretary for ICT—a move widely interpreted as a calculated strike by Mnangagwa to paralyse Chiwenga’s power base in the ruling party’s escalating succession wars. The shake-up comes amid fierce factional rivalries inside Zanu PF, reminiscent of the turbulence that preceded the ouster of Robert Mugabe in November 2017. At the centre of the conflict is the unresolved question of who will succeed Mnangagwa, now in his eighties.
Chiwenga, the former commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces who orchestrated the 2017 coup that propelled Mnangagwa to power, is seen as his natural rival. Tensions between the two camps have intensified in recent weeks. Chiwenga reportedly handed party leaders a damning dossier accusing Mnangagwa’s allies of looting billions of dollars, with particular attention on businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei, regarded as Mnangagwa’s preferred successor.
The allegations rattled the party elite, further deepening mistrust. Faced with these threats, Mnangagwa abruptly cancelled his trip to the United Nations General Assembly in New York after security briefings warned that his allies risked arrest in his absence. The Central Intelligence Organisation reportedly cautioned him that leaving the country could expose his camp to crippling attacks from within.
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Analysts say this reshuffle mirrors the high-stakes manoeuvring of 2017, when Mugabe was deposed after failing to manage internal succession disputes. Unlike then, however, Mnangagwa and Chiwenga are now bitter opponents rather than allies. Zanu PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa confirmed a broader Politburo reshuffle that further entrenches Mnangagwa’s dominance: The restructuring isolates Chiwenga’s allies while placing Mnangagwa’s loyalists in strategic roles.
However, it also highlights Zanu PF’s fragile unity. Mpofu, long seen as a heavyweight from Matabeleland, may not take kindly to his demotion, and the move risks widening cracks in the party. More significantly, the purge underscores how dangerously the succession struggle has escalated.
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