By Costa Nkomo
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has warned against factionalism and “waywardness” 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 Tuesday’s Central Committee meeting—alongside recent public calls for an extension of his term—have 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 party’s 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 party’s constitutional guidelines.
Speaking to the Central Committee on Tuesday, Mnangagwa said: “We 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.”
He added: “As 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.”
Mnangagwa’s message on Tuesday echoed his statements from Monday’s Politburo meeting, where he stressed the need for adherence to the party’s founding principles. “Let me reiterate that constitutionalism, discipline, unity, patriotism, loyalty, and hard work remain core values of our party that must never be compromised,” he said.
The president’s 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 Association’s Bulawayo Provincial Executive Committee, has spoken out against extending Mnangagwa’s term, arguing it would undermine the party’s 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 PF’s factional conflicts, warning of the risk of being exploited, as seen during the events leading up to Mugabe’s ouster in 2017.
“Zanu PF’s 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,” Sikhala said.
