Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga’s ambitions to lead Zanu PF have effectively been ended for now as party structures have endorsed Pres...
Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga’s ambitions to lead
Zanu PF have effectively been ended for now as party structures have endorsed
President Mnangagwa.
Zanu PF will hold its annual conference in Esigodini in
Matabeleland South this week amid simmering tensions between Mnangagwa and the
increasingly isolated Chiwenga.
After leading the coup that toppled former president Robert
Mugabe in November last year, Chiwenga’s backers wanted Mnangagwa to serve one
term and hand over the reins to the former army commander ahead of the 2023
elections.
However, that plan seems to have gone up in smoke with a
strong push for Mnangagwa to run for a second term, which was started by Zanu
PF youths a few weeks ago.
“In public they might want to give an impression that they
are united, but a lot of things are happening in the background. Mnangagwa’s
backers are making sure that Chiwenga’s influence in both government and party
is whittled down.
“This is why there is a rush to endorse the president as
the party’s presidential candidate in 2023 only three months after the
elections. This is being done to ensure Chiwenga will not have any chance,” a source told The Standard.
According to the source, the targeting of command
agriculture benefactor Kudakwashe Tagwirei was a way of dismantling Chiwenga’s
support base as the businessman is believed to be his major financier.
“A lot is happening. Mnangagwa backers are not sleeping.
They know Chiwenga is a real threat in the succession matrix. They would have
been glad if he was removed from his position and they are busy plotting for
that,” another source added.
However, Zanu PF spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo said
Mnangagwa’s endorsement had nothing to do with the alleged plot against
Chiwenga.
“VP Chiwenga has responded to that. It is all nonsense. It
is wishful thinking. There is nothing wrong in endorsing the president now and
all who want to challenge him can always stand against him ahead of 2023,” he
said.
“The issue of VP Chiwenga is nonsense. It’s a democratic
country, and people are free to express themselves. That was why we fought for
freedom. As long as you don’t break the law, there is nothing wrong with that.”
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