By Political Reporter- The Zanu PF Politburo is scrambling to avert a full-scale internal bloodbath as intra-party violence reaches a fever pitch on the eve of the party’s national conference, with supporters of President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Vice President Constantino Chiwenga clashing in a fierce power struggle that threatens to tear the party apart.
On Sunday, the Harare provincial offices of Zanu PF chairman Goodwills Masimirembwa were firebombed in a brazen attack believed to be the work of Chiwenga loyalists.
The assailants, opposed to Mnangagwa’s plans to extend his rule beyond his 2028 constitutional mandate, also poured petrol on one of Masimirembwa’s security personnel and set him alight.
The victim’s condition is still unknown, and police said they are investigating the case.
Masimirembwa is a staunch Mnangagwa ally and has been vocal in supporting the president’s bid to remain in power beyond the constitutional two-term limit.
This has placed him directly in the crosshairs of Chiwenga’s faction, which is growing impatient over Mnangagwa’s perceived refusal to honour a behind-the-scenes deal made during the 2017 military coup that ousted President Robert Mugabe.
The agreement, sources say, was that Mnangagwa would serve two terms and then hand power over to Chiwenga, who led the coup.
However, Mnangagwa is allegedly mobilising his supporters—particularly within the party’s youth wing and women’s league—to secure an extended presidency, sparking violent reprisals from Chiwenga’s camp, which includes both active and retired military figures who helped orchestrate the 2017 coup.
Despite this rising tension, Zanu PF’s Secretary for Information and Publicity, Christopher Mutsvangwa, downplayed the unrest and emphasized the importance of the upcoming conference, set to begin in Bulawayo on Friday.
“Conferences are very important because Zanu PF is a party with structures,” Mutsvangwa stated. “When people come to the conference, we are taking stock of our party policy. Remember, party policy is what guides government policy—the party is supreme.”