President Emmerson Mnangagwa has been struggling to shore up dwindling support in his ruling Zanu PF party.
Disloyal party cadres face the ax as power battles take center stage while the economy collapses and ordinary citizens sink into poverty.
Party members allied with Mnangagwa’s deputy Constantino Chiwenga are said to be maneuvering to obstruct Mnangagwa’s bid to run for a third term.
This publication reliably indicates that factions affiliated with Zanu PF had extended to the lower levels of the party, i.e. cells, prior to the restructuring process.
With the factional wars spiraling out of control, the Zanu PF commission was forced to halt local coordination committee elections scheduled for this year amid reports that members allied with Chiwenga were strategically positioning themselves for influential party positions and halting Mnangagwa’s bid for a third term.
ZANU-PF has a two-thirds majority in parliament in favor of rail legislation, but Mnangagwa would still need to hold a national referendum to make constitutional changes to allow for a third term.
This year alone, Mnangagwa fired two of his aides – former veterans minister Christopher Mutsvangwa and Zimbabwe Air Force chief Elson Moyo – over questioning their loyalty to him.
Moyo was sacked on Friday after Mnangagwa canceled his trip to Victoria Falls following a bomb scare at the resort city’s airports.
Moyo’s dismissal raised eyebrows as Mnangagwa was quick to name his successor, Air Vice Marshal John Jacob Nzvedi, on the same day he announced his retirement.
Mnangagwa last week rallied party members to intensify and emulate the Youth League that pledged loyalty to the ZPA leader in his bid for a third term during National Youth Day celebrations held in Masvingo last month.
Youth exposed
Mnangagwa ran for a third term with the slogan “2030 Mnangagwa will still be in office by 2030”.
Addressing the Zanu-PF political bureau last Thursday, Mnangagwa praised the youth for the “clarity of their intentions.”
He told senior members of the party that he was looking forward to managing the events organized by the party machinery as they were expected to follow in the footsteps of the Youth League.
“I was pleased to receive and address the masses of our youth in Masvingo Province as we celebrated National Youth Day,” Mnangagwa said.
He also urged senior party leaders to guide the youth in accordance with the party constitution.
“I also remind the youth of our party to be alive to the founding provisions of the party constitution, the values of hard work, honesty, discipline, patriotism and loyalty,” Mnangagwa said.
“I now look forward to running the programs offered by the Women’s Association, Veterans of the Liberation Struggle and Associates.
“where are they … [war veterans league secretary] what’s that? Did you see how others performed exceptionally well? Mnangagwa said, to which Veterans Minister Douglas Mahia responded by pledging not to be disappointed.
Close allies of Mnangagwa told The Standard that the president has become increasingly suspicious of acts of subversion against him. They cited incidents in which he showed public agitation.
Last Thursday, an angry Mnangagwa rebuked his aides for recording a poor national anthem during an event where he was handing over vehicles to leaders.
Later the same day, Mnangagwa was unable to hide his frustration from his aides over a deleted word in his speech during a Politburo meeting.
“I think I left something here? Hello, imi vapfana imi (you guys),” he said after noticing the mistake. In his speech.
As factional battles within the party threaten to tear apart the elected party ZANU-PF representatives allied with Mnangagwa have also expanded campaigning in their constituencies to boost support for the ZANU-PF leader.
His allies are distributing goodies to party supporters, especially basic goods such as meals, cooking oil, flour and rice branded with Mnangagwa’s face as they strive to prove their loyalty to the ZPF leader.
Yesterday, analysts accused Mnangagwa of planning a constitutional coup.
Political analyst Cedex Muradzikwa said that the concentration of power in the hands of one individual undermines democratic processes.
“This weakens democratic institutions, further erodes checks and balances, and stifles political pluralism and dissent,” Muradzikwa said.
“With this offer just six months after the election, a lot of political energy should be directed towards achieving the themes of the manifesto and not the 2028 bid.
“Such actions may provoke public unrest; The economic impact of political instability resulting from attempts to extend term limits can be severe, as investors become reluctant to commit resources to a country embroiled in political uncertainty.
Muradzikwa said Mnangagwa risked pushing Zimbabwe into international isolation.
“International condemnation and diplomatic isolation may often follow such attempts, as the international community tends to support democratic rules and principles,” he said. standard
