HARARE – Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga has delivered a stinging rebuke to the Zanu PF Harare provincial executive, led by Goodwills Masimirembwa, over a series of transgressions that are allegedly fuelling factionalism within the ruling party.
The dressing-down occurred during a high-level meeting held last Tuesday at the Zanu PF headquarters in Harare. The meeting was attended by key party figures, including Zanu PF chairperson Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri and secretary-general Obert Mpofu, as well as top officials from the main wing, women’s league, youth league, and central committee members from Harare province.
Insiders privy to the discussions revealed that Chiwenga, Muchinguri, and Mpofu collectively chastised Masimirembwa for repeatedly flouting established party protocols. A central theme of the reprimand was the accusation that Masimirembwa and his executive were prioritising personal financial gain over the core principles and values of Zanu PF.
According to sources, Chiwenga delivered a powerful message rooted in the history of Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle. “VP Chiwenga preached the history of the liberation struggle to us as a province and told Masimirembwa that no amount of money can buy Zanu PF as well as the blood that was lost during the struggle,” one insider recounted.
Furthermore, the Harare provincial executive was ordered to reinstate all members who had been expelled from the party in recent months without due process. It is understood that approximately 13 officials, primarily from the youth wing, had been suspended on allegations of supporting Chiwenga as a potential successor to President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
The meeting also addressed allegations of financial impropriety levelled against Masimirembwa. He has been accused of leasing out Zanu PF offices to individuals who then operate them as tuckshops, allegedly collecting the rental income for his personal use. Chiwenga directed that all rentals collected by the Harare province from party assets be remitted directly to the party’s finance department at the headquarters.
“Masimirembwa apologised profusely for breaching party procedures,” the insider revealed.
Another significant directive stemming from the meeting was the order for Harare provincial members to hand over 18 vehicles that had been donated to the party by Tagwirei. These vehicles are to be surrendered to the party headquarters.
However, despite Chiwenga’s clear instructions, some members of the Harare executive, including political commissar Voyage Dambuza, have reportedly expressed defiance. In WhatsApp group messages, Dambuza and others vowed to retain the vehicles, dismissing the directive as “baseless threats.”
Masimirembwa declined to comment on the matter when contacted yesterday.
These internal tensions within Zanu PF are unfolding against a backdrop of widening divisions over President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s succession. One faction, reportedly close to the President, is said to favour Tagwirei as a potential successor when Mnangagwa’s second and final term concludes in 2028.
Another faction is believed to support Vice-President Chiwenga, who has long been considered a frontrunner for the presidency, particularly since the 2017 coup that ousted the late Robert Mugabe.
A third faction, opposed to Chiwenga’s ascendancy, is reportedly advocating for Mnangagwa to remain in power until 2030. However, President Mnangagwa has stated on multiple occasions that he does not wish to remain in power beyond the constitutionally mandated two-term limit.
Last year, at its conference in Bulawayo, Zanu PF passed a resolution to amend the constitution to potentially allow Mnangagwa to extend his term. This resolution, coupled with the ongoing factionalism and the reprimand of the Harare executive, highlights the complex and potentially volatile political landscape within Zanu PF as the 2028 elections draw closer.
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