Political Reporter-Core-Constantino Chiwenga deputy President Kembo Mohadi together with the former Army General Constantino Chiwenga were conspicuously absent at their boss President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s politburo meeting.
Mohadi and Chiwenga Thursday did not attend the party’s last Politburo meeting chaired by Mnangagwa.
Their no-show comes days after Zanu PF spokesperson Chris Mutsvangwa revealed plans to push for a constitutional amendment allowing President Emmerson Mnangagwa to rule beyond 2028, effectively sidelining Chiwenga, who is constitutionally positioned to succeed him.
The Politburo, Zanu PF’s highest decision-making body, met for the final time in 2024
President Mnangagwa chairs the politiburo.
Images from the meeting showed empty seats where Chiwenga and Mohadi, as vice presidents, typically sit.
This absence follows Mnangagwa’s remarks at Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting, where he accused unnamed ministers of habitually skipping official engagements.
While some suggested a view that Chiwenga’s absence as a silent protest against moves to consolidate Mnangagwa’s grip on power, the VP is on a visit to India.
Mutsvangwa’s comments on the succession debate have further fanned speculation, as he declared there would be no immediate successor to Mnangagwa’s presidency.
The brewing tension comes at a critical juncture for Zanu PF, with internal divisions threatening to destabilise the party’s cohesion ahead of the 2028 elections.
Zanu PF spokesperson Chris Mutsvangwa could not be reached for comment.