ZANU PF POWER WAR EXPLODES AS TAGWIREI CO-OPTION TEARS PARTY APART

Zanu PF is in trouble again. This time, the fight is not with the opposition, but inside the party itself. The ruling party is being torn apart by a messy power struggle over how new people are added into influential positions. At the centre of the chaos is rich businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei, who was pushed into the Central Committee without following the party’s rules. His sudden appearance in powerful structures has left many Zanu PF members angry, confused, and divided.

The process of bringing someone new into party leadership is called co-option. It usually involves voting or some form of agreement among existing members. But in Tagwirei’s case, many say there was no proper procedure followed. Now the party is in such disarray that it’s writing a new document just to clarify how co-option should be done. The circular is being prepared by Munyaradzi Machacha, the party’s national political commissar, and Obert Mpofu, the secretary-general. Even these two powerful men are struggling to stop the flames. The fire is burning fast, and the heat is being felt across the party.

Some top Zanu PF leaders back Tagwirei because of his money and influence. Others are strongly against him, claiming he has no political experience and is being forced into leadership unfairly. This battle has made an already shaky party even more unstable. President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Vice President Constantino Chiwenga are already locked in a cold war over succession. Now Tagwirei’s drama has added fuel to that fire.

Last week Wednesday, the politburo met to discuss the matter. Machacha’s report said Tagwirei should be co-opted. Nobody opposed it at the meeting, so it looked like it was approved. But the next day, when Tagwirei showed up at the Central Committee meeting, he was humiliated and kicked out by Chiwenga himself. That moment exposed just how deep the divisions go.

There are growing fears that Tagwirei wants to replace Mnangagwa or, at the very least, take a powerful seat in the party. He keeps denying these claims, but many do not believe him. Two provinces — Harare and Masvingo — asked for him to be added to the Central Committee, saying he deserves the spot because of his business success. But critics say this is not about business — it’s about politics, and Tagwirei hasn’t earned it.

Harare Province succeeded in pushing for his co-option. But the celebration didn’t last. Chiwenga and his allies quickly shut the process down. What followed was total confusion. The co-option process — once clear — is now in total chaos. The rules are being rewritten, but trust in the system is broken.

Before 2022, Zanu PF’s constitution allowed for temporary co-option if someone left a position, but new elections were required if too many people left. After 2022, the rules said someone could be co-opted within three months by agreement, or by vote if there was competition. Again, if a group loses many members, it must be dissolved and re-elected. But even with all these rules, the Tagwirei case has exposed serious weaknesses. Power and money are now more important than order or democracy in Zanu PF.

Many Zimbabweans are watching this circus and shaking their heads. The same people who promised to fix the country are now busy stabbing each other over who joins their powerful circles. Meanwhile, the ordinary people continue to suffer.

Machacha and Mpofu have gone silent. They are avoiding questions. But silence won’t hide the truth. Zanu PF is at war with itself. The co-option scandal is just one piece of a bigger puzzle of greed, confusion, and collapse. The ruling party is no longer ruling — it is crumbling. The cracks are too wide now. The mask has fallen.