A photo capturing Zanu-PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa and businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei locked in a tight embrace at the ruling party’s 22nd Annual People’s Conference in Mutare on Friday has ignited speculation about shifting political alliances within the party’s top ranks.
The image, widely circulated on social media, has raised eyebrows given Mutsvangwa’s recent reversal on his stance toward Tagwirei – a once-criticised figure now being hailed by the party spokesperson as a “young visionary” contributing to Zimbabwe’s economic growth.
Mutsvangwa’s change of tone comes after Vice President Constantino Chiwenga reportedly presented a dossier alleging that Tagwirei, along with fellow businessmen Paul Tungwarara and Wicknell Chivayo, had “captured” Zanu-PF’s internal structures. Chiwenga has previously derided the trio as Zvigananda – parasites feeding off the state.
However, addressing a press conference in Harare recently, Mutsvangwa took a different line, rejecting corruption allegations against prominent business figures such as gold dealer Scott Sakupwanya. He defended them as drivers of the national economy who should not be vilified.
“They want to make us engage in a witch hunt amongst ourselves so that they fulfil the belief that only a colonial economy can function, and a revolutionary economy cannot deliver,” Mutsvangwa declared. “We refuse that in Zanu-PF. We will not accept to be foisted with agendas from outside.”
If indeed Chiwenga’s dossier exists, Mutsvangwa’s remarks appear to be a direct challenge to the Vice President’s position – deepening the visible rift between the two senior figures.
The comments also mark a stark contrast from Mutsvangwa’s statements in July, when he sharply criticised Tagwirei for attempting to “buy power” within Zanu-PF through patronage and donations. At the time, he rejected proposals to co-opt the businessman into the Central Committee, asserting that “Zanu-PF made Tagwirei – Tagwirei can’t be bigger than the party.”
The latest developments come amid escalating factional battles linked to the party’s 2028 succession race. President Emmerson Mnangagwa is constitutionally serving his final term, and Chiwenga is widely viewed as a key contender for leadership – a contest that has exposed deep fault lines within Zanu-PF.
Analysts say Mutsvangwa’s newfound warmth toward Tagwirei and his associates may signal a strategic repositioning toward the business-aligned faction within the ruling party, as he reportedly nurtures his own political ambitions.
Tagwirei, a central figure in Zimbabwe’s business and political landscape, has long been a lightning rod for controversy. He and his wife, Sandra, remain under United States sanctions for alleged corruption and for financially supporting Zimbabwe’s government amid human rights abuses.
As the Zanu-PF conference continues in Mutare, the symbolic embrace between Mutsvangwa and Tagwirei has become the latest visual metaphor of the party’s shifting loyalties and the intricate power games shaping Zimbabwe’s political future.
Source – businessdaily.co.zw
