ZANU-PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa has accused Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga of weaponising the liberation war-era term "zvigananda" to advance his perceived presidential ambitions, deepening tensions within the ruling party over the role of wealth and political influence in Zimbabwe.
Speaking at a press conference at ZANU-PF headquarters in Harare on Thursday, Mutsvangwa defended a group of wealthy and politically connected businesspeople that Chiwenga recently criticised using the term "zvigananda", which has become associated with individuals accused of benefiting from state patronage, corruption and political connections.
Chiwenga has in recent months revived the term in speeches warning against what he described as a new elite accumulating wealth through questionable means while ordinary Zimbabweans continue to struggle economically.
However, Mutsvangwa argued that the term has been misused for political purposes and sought to place its origins within the context of liberation war politics and Marxist class theory.
"The name Zvigananda generally refers to what is called the petty-bourgeoisie. In Marxist class analysis, people are placed in classes, and there is a class struggle between one class and the other; the workers, the peasants, the middle class and the super rich," Mutsvangwa said.
He said the term was originally used during the liberation struggle but became politicised during internal power struggles.
"The petty-bourgeoisie was translated to Zvigananda. Now, because people were ambitious for power in the 1976 Vashandi Rebellion, they started labelling someone as a Chigananda in the war," he said.
"But being labelled in a class is in relation to ownership of property, and no one owned property in the war.
"Behind it was an attempt to grab power. If you start labelling other people, then out of that, you say this should happen to them, it is not right."
Although Mutsvangwa did not directly name Chiwenga, his remarks appeared aimed at the Vice-President, whose repeated criticism of "zvigananda" has been widely interpreted as a warning against politically connected business elites and a signal of his broader political positioning ahead of any future leadership contest.
Mutsvangwa argued that wealth creation by black Zimbabweans should not be demonised and cautioned against using class-based labels to target individuals.
"There is nothing wrong about acquiring property, about having a middle class," he said.
"You abuse that term now and want to use it for political purposes because you have ambitions … that is not the way to go."
He questioned what he described as double standards regarding wealth accumulation, saying black entrepreneurs should not be singled out for criticism.
"If a black man makes money, there is a problem, but Indians and white people can make as much as they want?" he said.
Mutsvangwa concluded by urging political leaders, particularly former liberation war fighters, to exercise restraint and responsibility in their conduct.
"Zimbabweans deserve better in terms of political leadership, especially leadership that went to war. We need to conduct ourselves in the correct manner," he said.
The remarks are likely to fuel further debate within ZANU-PF over succession politics, economic empowerment and the growing influence of wealthy business figures who have emerged as key players in the country's political and economic landscape.
- Pindula
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