MUTARE – As ZANU-PF’s annual conference commences today in Mutare, Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga has launched a stinging attack on President Emmerson Mnangagwa, accusing him of fostering a pre-2017 environment ripe for another coup. Chiwenga alleges that Mnangagwa is colluding with corrupt individuals who are bankrolling a controversial campaign to extend his rule beyond the constitutional limit of two terms, pushing for a “2030 Agenda” or even a “2035 Agenda”.
In a bombshell document presented to the ZANU-PF presidium and politburo on September 17, and seen by the news crew, Chiwenga pulls no punches. He writes: “Today, history is repeating itself in the most shameful way Comrade President. Why we find ourselves in this situation is both shocking and shameful.”
Chiwenga’s central accusation is that Mnangagwa, despite publicly proclaiming his commitment to constitutionalism, is secretly supporting the “so-called 2030 Agenda” to prolong his presidency, mirroring the circumstances that led to the ousting of the late former president Robert Mugabe in November 2017.
Furthermore, Chiwenga claims that this agenda is being fuelled by corruption and the looting of state resources. “Moreover, the drivers of this so-called 2030 Agenda have now made corruption, looting of our state coffers and bribery of our structures the cornerstone of their contribution to this campaign, and this is now destroying our Party and violating our Constitution,” he asserts.
The Vice-President expresses dismay at the behaviour of some party and government officials, stating: “We are witnessing in shock as some of our officials in the Party and Government have now become a law unto themselves and are even announcing to our people at gatherings that we are no longer holding elections in 2028. These are critical announcements on matters that we as a Presidium and the Central Committee have never discussed nor did we pass a resolution at the last 2022 Congress.”
Chiwenga alleges that the “2030 Agenda” is being funded by “known criminals who have brazenly looted our state coffers with impunity and are now using these resources whose capture and control of our Party is unprecedented and deeply worrying.”
In a significant admission, Chiwenga, who was the Zimbabwe Defence Forces commander during the 2017 intervention, acknowledges that the military’s actions constituted a coup. In his confidential document, Chiwenga states: “Comrade President, in November 2017, we took a bold and necessary step to remove former President Robert Mugabe from power.”
He outlines the reasons for the military intervention, stating that Mugabe:
- “sought to manipulate our Constitution for personal gain.”
- “allowed certain individuals and family to seize his executive authority and abuse it.”
- “ignored the suffering of the people while a corrupt elite looted with impunity.”
- “turned ZANU-PF into a personal fiefdom, disregarding its founding values.”
Chiwenga asserts that during the November 2017 events, he and his colleagues “risked everything – our lives, our freedom, our futures – to restore and defend our legacy, the Party and the Constitution.”
This admission marks a stark departure from the official narrative that followed the military intervention, which was portrayed as a “military-assisted transition” targeting “criminals” surrounding Mugabe, not a coup. The late Sibusiso Busi Moyo, one of the commanders, even claimed that Mugabe had not been removed and was “safe and sound.”
However, Chiwenga now admits in writing that the army took action to “remove” Mugabe – which was undeniably a coup.
The military’s initial position was widely contradicted by some media organisations, including Zimbabwe Independent and The Standard, which reported on the events without fear or favour.
On November 14/15, 2017, the Zimbabwe Defence Forces deployed tanks and personal armoured carriers in Harare, seized control of the state broadcaster, barricaded Mugabe’s office, and placed him under house arrest. The army occupied the streets and positions around the airport.
These actions put intense pressure on Mugabe, eventually forcing his resignation on November 21. Emmerson Mnangagwa, who had fled the country to South Africa after being fired by Mugabe two weeks earlier, was installed as the new president.
The international community and many political analysts viewed the situation as a clear coup. Mugabe himself later described the event as a “thorough coup d’état” in March 2018, stating that it needed to be corrected by returning the country to legality.
The military’s denial was widely seen as a political manoeuvre to avoid consequences from the Southern African Development Community and African Union, which have a policy against unconstitutional changes of government.
In a move that drew heavy criticism, the High Court ruled the military’s actions were constitutional. Critics and analysts viewed this as an attempt to retroactively legitimise an illegal power grab.
On November 25, 2017, High Court Justice George Chiweshe ruled the army’s actions were “constitutionally permissible and lawful” to stop “criminal elements” around Mugabe. The judge cited Section 212 of Zimbabwe’s constitution, which outlines the defence forces’ duty to protect the country and its constitution.
In July 2018, Chief Justice Luke Malaba confirmed Chiweshe’s decision in chambers, denying access to other parties who wished to challenge the legality of the 2017 events.
Legal and human rights experts widely criticised the High Court ruling and Malaba’s judgement as “incredible” and setting a dangerous precedent by effectively legalising military intervention in civilian affairs. Political actors accused the judiciary of being partisan and aligned with Mnangagwa, who had taken power from Mugabe unconstitutionally and illegally.
On November 21, 2017, Mugabe submitted a letter to the Speaker of Parliament formally tendering his “voluntary” resignation with immediate effect. This happened amid impeachment proceedings launched by his own ZANU-PF party.
Mugabe’s resignation came after days of pressure from the army, ruling party, and massive street protests. The military had taken control of the country a week earlier, placing him and his family under house arrest.
Chiwenga’s document also outlines specific instances of alleged corruption involving individuals close to Mnangagwa. He accuses Kudakwashe Tagwirei, Wicknell Chivhayo, Scott Sakupwanya, and Delish Nguwaya of looting state coffers and using their ill-gotten gains to capture the party and manipulate state institutions.
Chiwenga alleges that these individuals have stolen more than US$3.2 billion of government funds through various schemes, including:
- The stealing of US$1.9 billion from the Ministry of Finance to Kudakwashe Tagwirei for selling a 35% stake in Kuvimba Mining House.
- The stealing of state assets like Sandawana Mines and the Zimbabwe Defence Forces’ Great Dyke Investments by Kudakwashe Tagwirei.
- The stealing and concealment by Kudakwashe Tagwirei of the Party’s 45% shareholding in Sakunda Holdings.
- The stealing by Wicknell Chivhayo of US$45 million from the Zimbabwe Election Commission and more than US$193 million from government coffers.
- The stealing of more than US$800 million by Scott Sakupwanya through the so-called gold incentive scheme.
- The stealing of US$162 million by Delish Nguwaya through his irregular and inflated Geo Pomona contract with the City of Harare and more than US$60 million through his irregular and inflated Clean Planet Resources contract with the Ministry of Health/NatPharm.
Chiwenga also accuses these individuals of turning Mnangagwa’s private office into a place where key government decisions are made and of hijacking the party’s affiliate system to gain more power and influence than the party’s organs.
Furthermore, Chiwenga raises concerns about a “treasonous project” penned by Jonathan Moyo, the so-called Breaking Barriers Initiative, which seeks to change the political system and suspend elections to 2035. He alleges that this project is being funded by Tagwirei, Chivhayo, Sakupwanya, and Nguwaya.
Chiwenga concludes his document by calling for the immediate arrest of Tagwirei, Chivhayo, Sakupwanya, and Nguwaya for their alleged crimes. He writes: “Tingarambe takatarisa vanhu vachiba more than US$3.2 billion in cash from our state coffers while our people are suffering out there? (Can we continue to watch people steal more than US$3.2 billion in cash from our state coffers while our people are suffering out there?)”
He urges Mnangagwa to take decisive action to reclaim the state and the party from these individuals and to reaffirm the sacred principles of the revolution. “The time for silence and inaction is over, Comrade President,” Chiwenga writes. “We need to reaffirm the sacred principles of the revolution and our legacy, the future of our nation, and the faith of our people depend on the decisive actions we take now.”
Chiwenga’s explosive allegations are likely to dominate discussions at the ZANU-PF annual conference in Mutare and could have significant implications for the future of the party and the country.
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