HARARE – Factional hostilities inside the ruling Zanu PF party have escalated to unprecedented levels, with authoritative sources revealing that President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s camp is preparing to dismiss Vice President Constantino Chiwenga within the coming days.
The development, if confirmed, would mark the most dramatic power shift since the November 2017 coup that ousted Robert Mugabe, in which Chiwenga was the key architect. Sources warn that the move could trigger turmoil both within the party and across the security establishment, where allegiances remain sharply divided.
Loyalty-Buying and Military Manoeuvres
In recent weeks, Mnangagwa has courted the military leadership with a fresh allocation of luxury vehicles to senior commanders. Analysts and political observers interpret the gesture as a calculated bid to secure military loyalty ahead of a potentially destabilising showdown with Chiwenga.
“The timing of the vehicle handouts cannot be ignored,” one political analyst noted. “It is a loyalty-buying exercise disguised as government business. Mnangagwa is making sure the security chiefs stand firmly with him before he makes his move.”
The Fractured Alliance
The once-powerful Mnangagwa–Chiwenga alliance, forged during the ouster of Mugabe, has visibly collapsed. Insiders say Chiwenga, who sacrificed his military career and political capital to usher Mnangagwa into power, now feels betrayed.
“He sees Mnangagwa as the most ungrateful person,” a senior Zanu PF insider told this publication. “Chiwenga expected to be rewarded for his role in 2017, not undermined. The hostility has reached boiling point.”
The simmering tension has spilled into the open through proxies. Independent legislator and Mnangagwa loyalist Temba Mliswa recently hinted that a major shake-up was looming, fuelling speculation that Chiwenga’s removal was imminent.
Timing and Party Calculations
Party insiders suggest the plan is to remove Chiwenga before Zanu PF’s upcoming national conference, effectively neutralising his camp ahead of key political resolutions.
“Chiwenga will be fired from the VP position in the next five days,” one insider alleged. “The strategy is to act swiftly, before the conference convenes. Just be ready for twists and turns in this political arena.”
If executed, the dismissal could deepen existing factional rifts, with Chiwenga’s loyalists within the security sector and war veterans likely to push back against what they see as Mnangagwa’s consolidation of power.
Uncertain Fallout
Observers caution that while Mnangagwa may appear to have the upper hand, the political consequences of sidelining Chiwenga remain unpredictable. Both men draw strength from the military, and any miscalculation could plunge the ruling party—and the country—into instability.
“The danger is that this is no longer just a Zanu PF internal squabble,” warned a political scientist. “It has implications for the entire security architecture of the state. When you play politics with the army, you are tampering with a loaded gun.”
As rumours swirl and manoeuvres intensify behind the scenes, Zimbabwe now watches closely to see whether Mnangagwa will indeed move against his long-time ally turned rival—and what political shockwaves such a dismissal could unleash.
