President Emmerson Mnangagwa is weighing a major Cabinet shake-up that could remove or reassign close to a dozen ministers before the end of November, according to sources in the ruling party and government. The proposed changes are being discussed as Zanu PF grapples with internal divisions over the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 3) Act, known as CAA3, and a party decision to discipline MPs who missed the parliamentary vote on the legislation.
No official list of ministers facing removal has been released. But insiders say the President is considering a broad reconfiguration, with some officials being scrutinised over their conduct during the CAA3 vote and others facing pressure for wider political reasons. The names being discussed include Tatenda Mavetera, Daniel Garwe, Charles Tavengwa and Defence Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri.
The proposal is being debated within a tense political climate. CAA3 was signed into law in July after passing through Parliament. It extends presidential and parliamentary terms from 5 years to 7 and changes the method of electing the President from a direct public vote to a joint sitting of the Senate and National Assembly. Several legal challenges to the amendment are before the Constitutional Court, including an application by 6 war veterans seeking permission to challenge it directly.
The party’s concerns over the parliamentary vote have since moved beyond private criticism. At its national people’s conference in Chinhoyi last month, Zanu PF adopted a resolution calling for disciplinary hearings against MPs who missed the vote. More than 10 MPs and ministers were absent, although some told party officials they had been outside the country on official duty.
Those who were in Zimbabwe on the day are said to be seeking forgiveness from the party leadership, hoping to avoid sanctions or removal from office. Party and government sources said the prospect of disciplinary action has left MPs and ministers waiting to see whether their positions will survive the next round of changes.
Among ministers reported to be at risk are Mavetera, who holds the ICT, Postal and Courier Services portfolio; Garwe, the Minister of Local Government and Public Works; and Tavengwa, Minister of State for Harare Metropolitan Affairs and Devolution. Sources also say Muchinguri-Kashiri, the Defence Minister, could be dropped.
The names under discussion do not all appear to be linked to the missed vote in the same way. Earlier accounts of possible penalties over CAA3 named Deputy Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Angeline Gata, Mashonaland West Provincial Affairs Minister Marian Chombo, Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Sheilla Chikomo and Skills Audit Minister Jenfan Muswere among officials facing scrutiny. The wider list is understood to remain under discussion and could change.
One party source said the proposed changes were intended to “renew” Cabinet and enforce discipline. Another described the process as factional manoeuvring ahead of future contests within the party. A source familiar with the discussions said: “At least a dozen ministers face the chop if the reshuffle takes place within a month as reported,” adding: “Some are being targeted over CAA3 and others for broader political reasons.”
Muchinguri-Kashiri’s position has drawn particular attention after a reported confrontation with Mnangagwa this week. Sources said she challenged the President over what she saw as the rewarding of other figures while she remained sidelined. The exchange was described to insiders as unusually direct, and sources said Mnangagwa did not take it lightly.
The reported dispute came amid talk within political circles that a powerful figure could be considered for the Vice-Presidency if Mnangagwa were to remove his deputy, Constantino Chiwenga. Chiwenga has been vocal in opposing CAA3, according to accounts of the party’s internal debate. Sources said Muchinguri-Kashiri believes she should be considered for one of the most senior posts in government, which carries oversight of a range of executive responsibilities.
No appointment to replace Chiwenga has been announced, and no final decision on Muchinguri-Kashiri’s future has been made public. But the claims have added to the uncertainty around the proposed Cabinet changes, with party members watching closely for signs of whether seniority, political loyalty or the outcome of the CAA3 vote will determine who keeps a ministerial post.
The possible shake-up follows a series of personnel changes that have already altered the balance of the government’s economic team. In October, Mnangagwa reassigned Professor Mthuli Ncube as Minister of Finance and appointed businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei as Minister of Economic Development and Investment Promotion. The two portfolios had previously been held together under Finance.
Tagwirei’s rise has been rapid. He was sworn in as a senator in September, entered Cabinet the following month and was later appointed to Zanu PF’s Politburo as secretary for Economic Affairs and Investment Promotion. Ncube, who has served as Finance Minister since 2018, retained the finance portfolio under the restructuring.
The reshuffle of economic responsibilities has coincided with renewed scrutiny of succession politics and the distribution of influence inside the party. Tagwirei’s appointments have placed him in senior roles in both government and Zanu PF, while the dispute over CAA3 has sharpened disagreements about the party’s future leadership and the route by which the next President will be chosen.
The constitutional amendment has become a central issue in the party’s disciplinary drive. The parliamentary vote did not only pass a major change to the country’s electoral arrangements; it has also become a test of political support for Mnangagwa within Zanu PF. Party members who missed the vote are now facing the possibility of hearings, while Cabinet members are being assessed for their positions as the President considers who will serve in the next phase of his administration.
The court challenges to CAA3 are proceeding alongside the political fallout. A direct-access application from 6 war veterans was heard on September 22, with the Constitutional Court reserving judgment. Other cases have raised questions about the loss of the public’s direct vote for President, the application of the changes to incumbents and the parliamentary process. The disputes have not stopped the law from taking effect, but they have kept the amendment at the centre of national politics.
The diplomatic briefing was not an announcement of Cabinet changes. But it came as the President’s administration has been making appointments and reassignments across government and party structures. The prospect of a wider domestic reshuffle has now placed ministers and MPs on alert, especially those linked to the CAA3 vote or to the competing political interests shaping the ruling party.
A party source said the final list remained unsettled and that the next few weeks would be decisive, as party structures await a decision that could leave several ministers out of Cabinet, move others to different portfolios or preserve the existing line-up. For now, the names circulating inside government remain subject to change, but the expected scale of the shake-up has put close to a dozen ministerial positions in doubt.