Chinamasa hits back at Advocate Mpofu

Published: 2 hours ago

Zanu-PF Treasurer General Patrick Chinamasa has hit back at Advocate Thabani Mpofu's claims that President Emmerson Mnangagwa's recent Politburo reshuffle was unconstitutional, dismissing the criticism as baseless and misleading.

Mnangagwa restructured the ruling party's Politburo last month in what analysts believe was a calculated move to check the influence of Vice President Retired General Constantino Chiwenga, his key rival in succession battles. Among the notable changes, Obert Mpofu - a perceived ally of Chiwenga - was demoted from the influential post of Secretary-General to the less prominent role of Secretary for Information Communication Technology (ICT).

Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda replaced Mpofu as Secretary-General, while Chinamasa himself was reassigned from Legal Affairs Secretary to Treasurer General. Reports suggest that Obert Mpofu had prior knowledge of a corruption dossier linked to powerful businessmen Kudakwashe Tagwirei, Wicknell Chivayo, Paul Tungwarara, and Delish Nguwaya, which Chiwenga reportedly tabled before the Politburo.

In response to these changes, Advocate Mpofu argued on social media that Mnangagwa had violated the Zanu-PF constitution, insisting that Article 9 did not give the President authority to reassign office holders outside an elective congress.

Chinamasa dismissed the interpretation, describing it as a "classic case of mala fides." He pointed to Article 9, Sections 65 and 67 of the party's 2022 Constitution, which, he argued, unambiguously vest appointment powers in the President and First Secretary.

"This language is categorical and unambiguous. The authority vests in the President and First Secretary - not in any collective, committee, or ancillary structure. Thus, any personnel changes announced are lawfully anchored in the President's prerogative. To argue otherwise is to deliberately distort the plain meaning of the text," Chinamasa stated on X (formerly Twitter).

He accused Mpofu of "wilful blindness" and misrepresenting the party's constitutional provisions, stressing that Sections 65 and 67 explicitly empower the President to appoint, reassign, and remove Politburo members and department heads.

"Mpofu's reading is not only narrow but fundamentally flawed. The Constitution must be read holistically, not selectively," Chinamasa added, arguing that Mnangagwa's reshuffle was legally and procedurally sound.

The sharp exchange highlights growing tensions within Zanu-PF as Mnangagwa consolidates power amid persistent speculation over succession and factional rivalries within the ruling party.
- NewZimbabwe

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