By Political Reporter-Zanu PF has called an extraordinary Politburo meeting, with high-ranking party members instructed to gather at party headquarters Wednesday.

Party spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa made the announcement without providing an official agenda, fueling speculation that tensions within the ruling party’s leadership are deepening.

The urgent meeting comes just days after Zanu PF’s National Conference in Bulawayo, where Vice President Constantino Chiwenga and his military allies openly rejected President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s push to remain in power until 2030.

This challenge forced Mnangagwa to announce his planned departure by 2028, a move insiders confirm was triggered by mounting military pressure and Chiwenga’s ultimatum.

The strained relationship between Mnangagwa and Chiwenga dates back to their 2017 alliance to oust former President Robert Mugabe, an alliance that has since fractured amid escalating rivalry.

Originally, Mnangagwa was to govern for one term before passing power to Chiwenga, an agreement reportedly brokered under what former Foreign Minister Sibusiso Busi Moyo described as a “gentlemen’s agreement.”

But after narrowly winning the contested 2018 election, Mnangagwa shifted his support base from the military to the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO), triggering discontent within Chiwenga’s faction.

Mnangagwa’s 2023 re-election bid was marked by a covert CIO operation led by FAZ, a secretive campaign team run by retired Brigadier-General Walter Tapfumaneyi, that further sidelined the military.

The power struggle came to a head in Bulawayo, where Mnangagwa’s efforts to secure his 2030 Vision fell apart.

His attempt to bring Zimbabwe Defence Forces commander General Phillip Valerio Sibanda into the politburo for balance was thwarted as unconstitutional, prompting Chiwenga’s allies to hint at a “silent coup” should Mnangagwa insist on extending his rule.

Analysts see Chiwenga’s faction preparing him as Mnangagwa’s successor for 2028, marking what appears to be a decisive military return to dominance.

However, Mnangagwa’s camp claims this retreat is “strategic.”

Whether this move is truly a concession or a temporary fallback, the power dynamics within Zanu PF remain volatile, with Chiwenga’s faction firmly in control for now.