However, all indications are that this is merely a sideshow aimed at sidelining the General.
The irony is that the President was handed his seat on a silver platter by the General, and like all ungrateful human beings, he is now choosing either to extend his term—which he publicly denies—or to anoint Kuda Tagwirei.
And so, Kuda Tagwirei was catapulted into the Central Committee, and yesterday was supposed to mark the beginning of his journey to State House.
Kuda Tagwirei’s unceremonious expulsion from the Central Committee meeting yesterday at ZANU PF Headquarters is perhaps the most vivid public display of the party’s deep factin recent years.
Vice President Constantino Chiwenga’s move to personally order Tagwirei’s exit—reportedly on technicalities around procedural regularities—was not merely a bureaucratic tidying-up.
It was a calculated show of force.
That Chiwenga could eject Tagwirei, who is widely regarded as President Mnangagwa’s preferred front-runner and financial proxy, shows the Vice President’s considerable influence within the ruling party.
It also demonstrates that he is prepared to assert that power in ways that publicly humiliate rivals.
The timing and manner of the expulsion sent a clear message: Chiwenga is not a ceremonial deputy.
He remains the man with the means—and the will—to discipline, even those closest to the President himself.
Crucially, this is not Chiwenga’s first decisive intervention in ZANU PF succession.
From the liberation struggle, he was instrumental in pushing for Robert Mugabe’s inclusion in the leadership ranks.
Decades later, he masterminded the military operation that removed Mugabe and installed Mnangagwa.
Now, with the same steely resolve, he is signaling that it is finally his turn—and that he is not a push-over.
This long record makes him arguably the most consequential power broker of ZANU PF’s modern history.
For those in the party who quietly support the General, the incident will be interpreted as reassuring proof that aligning with him remains a safe and potentially rewarding bet.
The spectacle of Tagwirei being forced to leave, with no apparent protection from Mnangagwa, will embolden those who have been sitting on the fence or doubting Chiwenga’s capacity to check the President’s growing patronage networks.
Equally, this was a warning to the General’s enemies: he will not be sidelined or underestimated.
Observers will recall that the ZANU PF HQ’s inner echelon—many of whom hold lingering resentments against Mnangagwa—might easily abandon the President for Chiwenga if it appears expedient.
The Central Committee’s failure to preempt the drama by notifying Tagwirei in advance about his supposed ineligibility was telling.
The question almost writes itself: if this was truly about procedure, why was he not told before he set foot in the meeting?
Even more striking was the Politburo’s refusal to deliberate meaningfully on his co-option, with reports suggesting only two of 49 members voted in Tagwirei’s favour.
If that figure is accurate, it confirms just how much resistance he faces within the highest decision-making organs of the party.
Yesterday was a potent reminder that the road to State House is very long—and that access to wealth and proximity to power do not automatically translate into unassailable political legitimacy. 🔗 Read Full Article
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