No plans to heckle and embarrass Chiwenga

Published: 3 hours ago

As the ruling Zanu-PF party convenes its annual conference in Mutare this week, tensions are reportedly mounting within the party amid growing speculation over the 2028 succession race and allegations of a plot to humiliate Vice President Constantino Chiwenga during the proceedings.

Chiwenga, widely viewed as the leading contender to succeed President Emmerson Mnangagwa when his second term ends in 2028, is said to be facing increasing resistance from within the party. Sources and analysts suggest that some Mnangagwa loyalists are working behind the scenes to extend the President's tenure to 2030, effectively blocking the Vice President's expected rise.

Among those backing the reported push for Mnangagwa's continued rule are several well-known business figures - including convicted businessman Wicknell Chivayo, Paul Tungwarara, and fuel magnate Kudakwashe Tagwirei - who have publicly expressed unwavering loyalty to the President.

In recent days, social media has been flooded with claims that certain Zanu-PF youths are being mobilised and transported to Mutare with the intention of booing Chiwenga during the conference. The reports, if true, would signal an intensification of the long-rumoured factional rivalry between Mnangagwa and Chiwenga's camps.

However, Zanu-PF Director of Communication Farai Marapira has dismissed the allegations as baseless and mischievous, insisting that the conference will be a disciplined, closed-door affair attended only by accredited delegates.

"We are not going to a rally; we are going to a conference. This is not a free-for-all event. It's a meeting of delegates and leadership. There is no time to heckle anyone," Marapira said. "This is just social media trying to push agendas against Zanu-PF. But, of course, it will fail."

Marapira further questioned the credibility of the claims, pointing out that access to the conference venue is tightly controlled.

"This issue of being bussed to boo - how would they enter when they are not accredited? We are accrediting delegates, not crowds. This is mischief from people who don't understand how the party operates," he added.

The alleged plans to disrupt Chiwenga's appearance come amid reports that the Vice President has taken a hard line against corruption within the ruling elite - a stance that has reportedly unsettled powerful business interests and some senior figures in government.

Chiwenga has repeatedly described corruption as a "threat to national security" and has used public platforms to criticise those enriching themselves through state contracts and political connections. Though he has avoided naming individuals, his reference to such figures as "Zvigananda" - a Shona term for plunderers - has been widely interpreted as a swipe at Mnangagwa-aligned businessmen, including Chivayo, Tagwirei, Tungwarara, and Delish Nguwaya.

Last month, Chiwenga reportedly tabled a comprehensive dossier on corruption during a Zanu-PF Politburo meeting, implicating several of these individuals in large-scale financial misconduct. The revelations, according to sources close to the party, were so damaging that President Mnangagwa was allegedly forced to postpone a planned diplomatic trip to the United States, where he was scheduled to lead Zimbabwe's campaign for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.

With the conference now underway, all eyes are on Mutare as the ruling party seeks to project unity in the face of deepening internal fissures. While Zanu-PF officials insist the gathering will focus on development and party discipline, observers say the real test will be whether Mnangagwa and Chiwenga can keep their increasingly visible rivalry from spilling into the open.
- New Zimbabwe

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