By Munacho Gwamanda–President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Monday shamelessly denied any association with controversial businessman and Zanu PF benefactor Wicknell Chivhayo, despite overwhelming evidence of their close working relationship.
Chivhayo, a convicted fraudster, has become a divisive figure within the ruling party, amassing wealth through multi-million-dollar state tenders—many of them riddled with corruption—while splurging cash, luxury cars, and expensive gifts in what appears to be a politically motivated patronage scheme at Mnangagwa’s behest.
Mnangagwa’s alliance with Chivhayo has sparked tensions within Zanu PF, particularly between the president and his deputy, Constantino Chiwenga, who has publicly denounced the businessman’s unchecked influence.
During a carefully stage-managed media briefing with selected senior journalists at State House on Monday, Mnangagwa vigorously defended Chivhayo, dismissing any suggestion of political alignment.
“Chivhayo is not my front,” Mnangagwa insisted when asked about the businessman’s activities. “Stop wasting my time on somebody who is using his money to be philanthropic. If he were a thief, we would have sent the police.”
But Mnangagwa’s response betrayed his discomfort. The “it wasn’t me” president, notorious for dodging accountability, appeared visibly rattled when pressed on Chivhayo’s influence.
His denial was in stark contrast to Chivhayo’s own public statements, in which he has repeatedly boasted of his close ties with Mnangagwa and his government.
It is an open secret that the two are deeply intertwined—politically, financially, and personally.
Chivhayo has been instrumental in Mnangagwa’s controversial bid for a third term in 2030, a campaign the president alsodenies planning. The businessman has even gone as far as claiming that he has a “firm grip” on Mnangagwa’sadministration, portraying their relationship as that of a father and son.
Mnangagwa’s comments come amid mounting tensions in Zanu PF, with Vice President Chiwenga recently issuing a thinly veiled warning about the rampant looting of state resources by politically connected elites.
Without naming Chivhayo directly, Chiwenga recently metaphorically referred to him as “Zvigananda”, a term implying knowledge of individuals enriching themselves at the expense of the state.
The rift between Mnangagwa and Chiwenga deepened further when Chivhayo recently purchased a brand-new 2025 Rolls-Royce Cullinan Black Badge—valued at $1.2 million—for Mnangagwa’s chief financial enabler, Kudakwashe Tagwirei.
The ultra-luxury vehicle, set to go into production in April 2025 and delivered in July, was announced in a lavish tribute where Chivhayo praised Tagwirei as a “businessman of unquestionable integrity” and a “mentor.”
The extravagant gift could not have come at a worse time for Mnangagwa, as discontent within Zanu PF over the looting of state resources continues to grow.
Chiwenga has reportedly become increasingly frustrated with Mnangagwa’s inner circle—particularly the so-called “Zvigananda” elite—who continue to amass vast wealth through opaque deals and government contracts.
By showering Tagwirei with such a high-profile gift, Chivhayo is not only flaunting his financial clout but also openly defying Chiwenga’s calls for accountability.
His actions reinforce the culture of impunity within Mnangagwa’s faction, exacerbating divisions within the ruling party.
Chiwenga’s indirect rebuke of Chivhayo—and, by extension, Mnangagwa—signals a growing power struggle at the heart of Zanu PF.
As the battle over control of state resources intensifies, Zimbabwe’s leadership is increasingly fractured, with the country’sfuture being shaped not by governance, but by the whims of a corrupt political elite.