By Political Reporter- Military tankers have been seen making rounds in Harare just two days after Vice President Constantino Chiwenga directly challenged President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s bid for a third term.

Earlier this week, Chiwenga warned Mnangagwa’s supporters against pushing him out of the presidential race. 

In 2017, during the coup that ousted President Robert Mugabe, Chiwenga and Mnangagwa agreed that Mnangagwa would serve two terms before handing over power to Chiwenga. 

However, Mnangagwa is now mobilizing his supporters to exclude Chiwenga from the succession race.

In a speech captured by ZBC News, Chiwenga, dressed in Zanu PF regalia, addressed a gathering, urging party members to remain loyal not to individuals who “come and go” but to the party and the country as a whole. 

Chiwenga stated:

“There is no room for factionalism at any level in the party. A party cannot be undermined by being defined in the confines of individuals. I repeat, no factionalism in the party; we are one and shall remain one. Our loyalty is not to individuals but to the bigger agenda, which is larger than us, that of the party and the people of Zimbabwe who are supreme. It is the party, it is the people of Zimbabwe who are supreme, not me as Chiwenga; I will come and go.”

Unlike other cabinet members, including Vice President Kembo Mohadi and senior party figures, Chiwenga has refused to endorse the “ED2030” slogan, which has been interpreted as a direct challenge to Mnangagwa’s campaign.

On Wednesday, tankers similar to those deployed by Chiwenga during the 2017 coup were spotted in Harare. Former CCC deputy spokesperson Ostalos Gift Siziba posted videos of the military vehicles making rounds in the city, fueling speculation about Chiwenga’s intentions.