ZAPU president Sibangilizwe Nkomo has acknowledged deepening turmoil within the opposition party he leads, warning of what he described as “negative and concerted efforts” from within its own ranks to undermine the party’s growth and stability.
Nkomo’s remarks, contained in an internal memo circulated to senior party structures on January 15, 2026, expose the long-standing internal cracks that have plagued ZAPU in recent years.
ZAPU is expected to hold an elective congress later this year.
The development in ZAPU, mirrors a broader pattern of instability within Zimbabwe’s opposition landscape, where leadership disputes, factionalism and court battles have repeatedly weakened parties struggling to mount a strong challenge against the ruling Zanu PF establishment.
In the internal memo addressed to members of ZAPU’s National Council of Elders (NCoE), National People’s Council (NPC) and National Executive Committee (NEC), Nkomo warned the party was facing sustained attacks “more so from within its own ranks than from outside interference.”
“It is abundantly clear, especially in the tenure and life of the current ZAPU administration, that the people’s movement is always under constant attack,” Nkomo wrote, adding that “ZAPU must not be allowed to grow, thrive and prosper” in the eyes of its enemies and “their collaborators.”
Nkomo’s memo comes amid growing discontent among some party members and former leaders who have questioned his leadership style, legitimacy and political strategy.
Critics within and outside the party have long argued that Nkomo’s leadership has failed to mobilise ZAPU into a formidable political force, while others have openly resisted his ascent to the presidency.
Nkomo himself acknowledged resistance to his leadership began well before he assumed office, recalling efforts to block him from contesting at the party’s October 2021 People’s Congress.
He said the urgent High Court application was allegedly left at the party’s offices on the eve of the congress, an attempt by disgruntled members to stop the gathering and prevent him from contesting for the presidency.
According to Nkomo, the courts dismissed the application, allowing congress to proceed, but legal challenges continued even after his election.
“The comrades not having been satisfied with the Congress outcome went on to open another court case to try and dethrone the newly elected and sitting President,” he wrote.
Nkomo said many of those who took ZAPU to court and lost later broke away to form a rival formation known as Original ZAPU (O-ZAPU), while warning of what he described as “yet another impending effort” to chip away at the party.
At the centre of the internal contestation is a long-standing narrative that Nkomo “inherited” ZAPU from his father, the late Dr Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo, the party’s founding president and one of Zimbabwe’s foremost liberation icons.
That perception, Nkomo conceded, has been weaponised by his detractors to question his legitimacy.
“Others protested that I could not lead ZAPU because it was not an inheritance property bequeathed to me by my father,” Nkomo wrote.
“My short answer was that ZAPU is an inheritance for all of us, including myself, provided one is a true member in good standing.”
While he sought to frame his leadership as rooted in collective ownership rather than lineage, the reference underscores the complex legacy politics that continue to shape ZAPU’s internal dynamics.
ZAPU’s identity remains deeply tied to its liberation history, often making leadership transitions emotionally and politically charged.
Nkomo also painted a picture of a presidency constrained not by external repression alone, but by resistance from within party leadership.
He said his efforts had been “marred and kept in check by some leaders,” accusing them of blocking grassroots mobilisation and even restricting the use of his official portrait on party materials, allegedly citing an old NEC resolution.
“I stayed in my lane and avoided anything that may be misconstrued as dictatorial, only to be labelled clueless, docile and weak,” he wrote.
Despite this, Nkomo insisted he retained a strong mandate from the party’s membership, saying he was elected through a “landslide victory” and warning that “no amount of chicanery and backhanded vote-of-no-confidence putsch attempts” would change that reality.
Nkomo’s remarks reflect a leadership under pressure to assert authority while simultaneously appealing for unity, a factor opposition leaders in Zimbabwe have struggled to maintain.
In recent years, opposition parties including the MDC formations and newer political movements such as the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) have been consumed by splits, recalls and court battles, which have left voters confused, angry and fragmented.
Nkomo explicitly drew parallels with historical opposition implosions, warning that failure to address internal sabotage could repeat past mistakes.
“If we haven’t learnt from the Zanu split of 1963 and the systematic destruction of the MDC project, then we have learned absolutely nothing,” he cautioned.
In the memo, Nkomo concluded he is “not going anywhere” and described his leadership as a “God-given, people-driven and ancestor-approved mission” to bring about what he called “final and total freedom” for Zimbabweans.
In an interview with critical studies scholar, Dr Khanyile Mlotshwa, warned that while Nkomo’s rhetoric may resonate with his loyal supporters, his language also risks deepening divisions in a party already grappling with trust and organisational fatigue.
“The party faces a critical test, whether it can translate these calls for unity into concrete organisational renewal, or whether internal fractures will continue harming its political agenda,” he said.
Dr Mlotshwa said ZAPU’s struggles underscore a recurring dilemma within Zimbabwe’s opposition, which is “the inability to manage internal democracy and succession without descending into self-destructive conflict.”
“Zanu PF’s dominance remains entrenched because opposition parties’ fail to get their act together and that weakens meaningful political competition and participation,” he said.
Support CITE’s fearless, independent journalism. Your donation helps us amplify community voices, fight misinformation, and hold power to account. Help keep the truth alive. Donate today