Vice President Constantino Chiwenga has publicly challenged President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s alleged plans to extend his term of office beyond the constitutionally mandated two-term limit, signaling the start of a potentially protracted dispute between the two former close allies.
Addressing a recent Zanu-PF rally, Chiwenga slammed a faction of party members who are backing Mnangagwa to remain in power beyond 2028.
This group, led by senior party officials and cabinet ministers such as Tino Machakaire, Daniel Garwe, and Owen “Mudha” Ncube, has been promoting the idea of extending Mnangagwa’s term.
Chiwenga unequivocally told them that their loyalty should be to the party and the people of Zimbabwe rather than to individuals.
This statement comes amidst the emergence of a slogan, “2030 vaMnangagwa vanenge vachipo,” being chanted at Zanu-PF rallies, which suggests keeping Mnangagwa as the party’s leader even after his term expires.
“There is no room for factionalism at any level in the party,” he said.
“A party cannot be undermined by being defined in the confines of individuals. I repeat, no factionalism in the party, we are one and shall remain one, hapana kuti uyu ndinomuda uyu handimude, tiri tese ka?
“Our loyalty is not to individuals but to the bigger agenda which is larger than us, that of the party and the people of Zimbabwe who are supreme, it is the party, it is the people of Zimbabwe who are supreme not inini saChiwenga, I will come and go.”
Mnangagwa recently announced that he would not seek an extension of his term of office. He stated that the party would choose his successor, who would continue his legacy during the congress in 2027. He did not endorse his deputy as his successor.
Despite his claims of not seeking an extension, the Zanu-PF leader has shown hesitation in reining in his supporters, who are actively campaigning for him to stay in office beyond his current term.
This has raised doubts about the genuineness of his declarations regarding his willingness to relinquish power.
Meanwhile, Christopher Mutsvangwa, the Zanu-PF spokesperson and a close ally of Mnangagwa, has already declared that the party would not support Chiwenga’s bid for the presidency. He said Zanu-PF did not anoint Chiwenga to be Mnangagwa’s successor.
“Zanu-PF is not a church where people can be anointed, and the president is not the Pope or the Archbishop of Canterbury who anoint priests.
“If you think you’re worth it, go and sell yourself to the people. If you clamour for anointment by the president, it means you have failed the litmus test of being a Zanu-PF leader,” he said.
In an interview with the Daily News on Tuesday, Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi hinted that the government is open to amending the Constitution to allow Mnangagwa to stay in power beyond his current term, if that is what the Zimbabwean people want.
“If the majority of the people are of the opinion that we need to extend President Mnangagwa’s term, then the law can always be amended to suit the people’s wishes. That is what democracy is all about,” he said.
And Munangagwa keeps pointing at Zambia as a security threat to Zimbabwe. No, the enemy is within. When Munangagwa wrestled power from Mr. Mugabe, Zambia had no part in his plot.
In the same way, Zimbabweans will find a way to liberate themselves without any outside help. Stop blaming Zambia for your self created woes.