By Costa Nkomo
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has warned against factionalism and โwaywardnessโ within Zanu PF, reflecting heightened concerns over succession battles as his term nears its end in 2028.
While he did not directly name any factions, his remarks at Tuesdayโs Central Committee meetingโalongside recent public calls for an extension of his termโhave underscored growing tensions within the ruling party.
Mnangagwa, who came to power in 2017 after the military-backed ouster of Robert Mugabe, called for upholding the partyโs Constitution, rules, and procedures.
However, calls to extend his term, particularly from influential figures like Midlands Provincial Affairs Minister Owen Mudha Ncube and Local Government Minister Daniel Garwe, have raised concerns about possible breaches of the partyโs constitutional guidelines.
Speaking to the Central Committee on Tuesday, Mnangagwa said: โWe must always guard against infiltration and waywardness within party structures. We need to address abuses decisively without abandoning our structures. Hidden agendas create such abuses. The solution to challenges, for example within the DCC, is not to dismantle the structure but to correct the issues through strict adherence to the party Constitution, rules, and procedures.โ
He added: โAs a key decision-making body of our party, Zanu PF, it is our responsibility as the Central Committee to ensure that all members stay on the right path.โ
Mnangagwaโs message on Tuesday echoed his statements from Mondayโs Politburo meeting, where he stressed the need for adherence to the partyโs founding principles. โLet me reiterate that constitutionalism, discipline, unity, patriotism, loyalty, and hard work remain core values of our party that must never be compromised,โ he said.
The presidentโs warnings come amid reports of growing factional divides within Zanu PF, with one faction reportedly backing his 2030 agenda and another believed to support Vice President Constantino Chiwenga.
While Chiwenga has remained silent about his political ambitions, Dominic Mhlanga, Chairperson of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Associationโs Bulawayo Provincial Executive Committee, has spoken out against extending Mnangagwaโs term, arguing it would undermine the partyโs Constitution.
Adding to the tension, a group of Zanu PF youths gathered in Zvishavane last weekend, calling for Mnangagwa to remain in power until 2030.
Job Sikhala, Chairperson of the National Democratic Working Group (NDWG), has urged Zimbabweans to stay out of Zanu PFโs factional conflicts, warning of the risk of being exploited, as seen during the events leading up to Mugabeโs ouster in 2017.
โZanu PFโs infighting should be observed from a distance. Let them battle each other. I caution every Zimbabwean to be careful not to be used again, as happened in 2017. The masses took to the streets in November 2017, believing they were removing Mugabe for their benefit, only to be told by Patrick Chinamasa that it was a Zanu PF issue,โ Sikhala said.
