HARARE – President Emmerson Mnangagwa has removed Retired Brigadier-General Ezekiel Zabanyana from his position as Director-General in Zanu-PF’s administrative structures, in what analysts view as a calculated move to sideline Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga’s loyalists ahead of a tense party conference.
The dismissal, coming just days before Zanu-PF’s annual conference in Mutare, underscores Mnangagwa’s determination to tighten his grip on power amid growing internal divisions and succession uncertainty within the ruling party.
Zabanyana, a respected former military commander and long-time ally of Chiwenga, is the latest casualty in a wave of purges targeting figures seen as sympathetic to the Vice-President. His removal follows the recent replacement of Obert Mpofu with Jacob Mudenda as party secretary-general — a major reshuffle interpreted as part of Mnangagwa’s broader bid to neutralise rival power centres.
Sources within Zanu-PF suggest that Mnangagwa’s inner circle has grown increasingly wary of Chiwenga’s political ambitions, especially as succession debates intensify ahead of the 2030 agenda. The President is reportedly moving to ensure the upcoming conference cements his dominance over party organs that were once influenced by the military-backed faction.
Tensions between the two leaders reached a boiling point during a politburo meeting on 17 September, where Mnangagwa and Chiwenga reportedly clashed over the party’s long-term leadership roadmap, corruption allegations, and control of key appointments.
Political analysts say the removal of Zabanyana is a clear signal that Mnangagwa is unwilling to tolerate dissent as he consolidates authority. “This is about power preservation,” said one Harare-based analyst. “Mnangagwa wants to go into the Mutare conference without any lingering threats from the Chiwenga camp.”
The escalating factional feud threatens to deepen rifts within Zanu-PF at a time when the party is already under scrutiny for internal corruption and declining grassroots support. Some observers warn that if the purge continues, it could destabilise the fragile balance that has kept the ruling party intact since the 2017 military-assisted transition.
As the Mutare conference approaches, all eyes are on how Mnangagwa will manage the widening cracks within his party — and whether Chiwenga will mount a political counteroffensive or retreat to fight another day.
Source – businessdaily.co.zw
