By Political Reporter — The junta has sidelined President Emmerson Mnangagwa, pressuring him to abandon his ambition to lead the country through his much-touted 2030 Vision.
The military’s anointment of Mnangagwa’s deputy, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, signals a decisive shift in Zimbabwe’s political landscape and suggests echoes of the 2017 coup that forced former President Robert Mugabe from power.
On Saturday, Mnangagwa announced that he would not seek office beyond 2028, despite endorsements from the party’s ten provincial branches, which had rallied behind his leadership through 2030.
This announcement seems to mark the end of Zanu-PF’s tense succession debate, with Chiwenga and his military allies emerging as the undisputed victors.
Speaking at the close of Zanu-PF’s 21st Annual National People’s Conference in Bulawayo, Mnangagwa framed his decision as a constitutional commitment, emphasising his role in drafting Zimbabwe’s current Constitution.
“I am a constitutionalist,” Mnangagwa stated, presenting his adherence to the law as a matter of principle. Party Secretary for Legal Affairs, Patrick Chinamasa, echoed this sentiment, saying, “His Excellency has made it clear that he will abide by the Constitution and has no intention of serving beyond 2028.”
Yet, behind this ostensibly smooth transition lies a fierce power struggle within Zanu-PF, exposing the fractures that have increasingly divided the party.
Sources close to the matter reveal that Chiwenga issued a stern ultimatum to Mnangagwa, warning him against clinging to power as Mugabe once did.
Insiders suggest Chiwenga reminded Mnangagwa of Mugabe’s fate in 2017, hinting that a similar end could befall him if he resisted the push for succession.
This warning cast a shadow over Mnangagwa’s ambitions and placed him under intense pressure to relinquish his aspirations for extended leadership.
In the days leading up to the conference, Mnangagwa’s supporters, including influential figures like Harare provincial chairperson Godwills Masimirembwa, had mobilised in favour of constitutional amendments that would have allowed him a third term or even indefinite rule.
This display of loyalty underscored the deep polarisation within Zanu-PF, highlighting factional lines between Mnangagwa loyalists and Chiwenga’s camp.
Addressing these calls, Mnangagwa advocated for “unity and discipline,” though his appeal was widely interpreted as a thinly veiled response to the factional tensions simmering within the party.
Chiwenga’s allies, growing increasingly frustrated with Mnangagwa’s prolonged ambitions, reportedly revived discussions of countermeasures reminiscent of the 2017 military intervention that toppled Mugabe.
Political analysts have noted that while Mnangagwa’s 2030 Vision garnered symbolic support at the conference, it ultimately deferred rather than resolved the succession question, leaving Zimbabwe’s political future as uncertain as ever.
As Zanu-PF members and political observers analyse the conference’s outcome, rumours of factional scheming continue circulating.
The question remains: will Chiwenga once again leverage his military influence to consolidate his path to leadership?
For now, it appears that the military’s manoeuvring has once more thrown Zimbabwe’s politics into a state of precarious anticipation, with Chiwenga poised to assume the mantle as Zanu-PF’s next leader by 2028.