By Political Reporter- Zanu PF has expelled 16 members on allegations of supporting independent candidates during the last election, a move highlighting deepening cracks within the party amid ongoing power struggles between President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Vice President Constantino Chiwenga.
Most of the suspended members are from Masvingo Province, a key political battleground.
They have been barred from the party for five years, as outlined in the Central Committee report presented by Mnangagwa, the party’s First Secretary and President, at the 21st ZANU PF National People’s Conference held last month in Bulawayo.
The suspended members include Gracious Mapurisa, Jainos Mudonhi, Blessing Hwititi, Wilson Hwafa, Rebecca Matanga, Wellington Hove, Josiel Gumbo, Tavaona Dube, Chamunorwa Ndlela, Simbarashe Pen, Nomsa Masaga, Godknows Moyo, Antalia Ngwenya, Silandekani Khalamesi, and Hlamulo from Masvingo Province.
Additionally, Batsirai Pemheni from Manicaland Province was also expelled.
Some of these members had contested as independent candidates in the National Assembly and local authority elections.
Notable individuals who ran as independents but failed to secure seats include Thomas Munjoma (Mutare West), Zivanai Peter Musanhu (Mt Darwin West), Eunice Mangwende (Murewa North), George Vhengere (Gutu East), Tafadzwa Shumba (Mwenezi West), Jeremiah Ndlukuwani (Gokwe Chireya), and Siphathisiwe Mathema (Nkayi North).
Their defiance by running as independents led to automatic expulsion from Zanu PF, as the party has a long-standing policy against supporting candidates outside its official structures.
However, this wave of suspensions is not just about disciplinary enforcement; it also reflects the underlying factional battles within Zanu PF, particularly between Mnangagwa and Chiwenga.
The mass suspensions come against the backdrop of a simmering rivalry between Mnangagwa and Chiwenga, as the party approaches a critical period of internal restructuring. Masvingo Province, where most of the expelled members hail from, has long been seen as a flashpoint of factional contestation.
Analysts believe the expulsions are part of Mnangagwa’s broader strategy to consolidate power by eliminating perceived allies of Chiwenga, who has been quietly building his own support base.
Chiwenga, a former military general who played a pivotal role in Mnangagwa’s rise to power during the 2017 coup, has reportedly grown frustrated with the President’s centralization of authority.
The latest suspensions may further widen the rift between the two leaders, as Chiwenga’s backers could view them as a direct assault on their faction.
The timing of the suspensions, just after the national conference, suggests Mnangagwa is asserting his authority ahead of the party’s elective congress, where leadership dynamics could be redefined.