By Munacho Gwamanda-Zanu PF leader and President of Zimbabwe, Emmerson Mnangagwa, has warned of further purges within the ruling party, targeting elements opposed to his leadership.
His remarks came during the 125th Central Committee meeting held at the Zanu PF headquarters in Harare on Thursday.
The Central Committee meeting, convened every three months as per the party’s constitution, was overshadowed by Mnangagwa’s recent move to weaken the faction aligned with his deputy, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga.
Mnangagwa had just removed Army Commander General Anselem Sanyatwe from his influential military post and reassigned him to the largely ceremonial Ministry of Sports, a significant demotion.
In Sanyatwe’s place, Mnangagwa swiftly appointed Major General Emmanuel Matatu as the new Commander of the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA), consolidating his control over the military.
Sanyatwe, a long-time ally of Chiwenga, has been instrumental in supporting the Vice President’s political ambitions, making his removal a clear indication of the deepening power struggle within Zanu PF.
“To be a leader in our revolutionary mass Party, Zanu-PF is never an entitlement or a right. We must remain anchored on the commitment to wholeheartedly serve the people of our great motherland, Zimbabwe,” Mnangagwa declared to rapturous applause.
He continued: “It is most unfortunate that a retrogressive trend has emerged, with some members of our Party showing their ‘chameleon-like’ characters as willing accessories to our detractors. Forty-five years after we defeated the retrogressive spirit of individualism and the Rhodesian settler regime, it is a shame that a small clique of individuals is pursuing delusional ambitions and selfish interests. These rogue opportunists will soon meet their fate.”
Mnangagwa also reassured the public that state security structures were in place to safeguard national stability. “Our peace-loving nation stands firm against such treasonous acts of indiscipline. People are called upon to go about their business as usual. Our state security infrastructure is in place to protect property and the safety of all Zimbabweans, from Plumtree to Mutare, Chirundu to Beitbridge.”
Chiwenga, a key architect of the 2017 coup that ousted Robert Mugabe and installed Mnangagwa, was once considered his natural successor for the 2028 elections.
However, tensions between the two have intensified, prompting Mnangagwa to systematically sideline military figures loyal to Chiwenga.
Since assuming power, Mnangagwa has methodically removed Chiwenga’s allies from strategic positions, replacing them with his own loyalists.
This pattern began with the forced retirements of senior military officers who played crucial roles in the 2017 coup, including former ZNA Commander Lieutenant General Edzai Chimonyo, who died under suspicious circumstances in 2021, and the late Foreign Affairs Minister Sibusiso Moyo, another key figure in the coup.
Sanyatwe’s removal is widely seen as a continuation of this strategy. Previously, he commanded the Presidential Guard and played a controversial role in suppressing post-election protests in 2018.
He was later appointed Zimbabwe’s ambassador to Tanzania—a move interpreted as an effort to sideline him.
His return to a prominent military post in 2023 signaled Chiwenga’s attempt to regain lost ground, but Mnangagwa’s swift decision to reassign him underscores the ongoing battle for supremacy within the ruling elite.
The appointment of Matatu as ZNA Commander further tilts the balance of power in Mnangagwa’s favor, diminishing Chiwenga’s influence both in the military and in politics.
With Chiwenga battling health complications, he now faces an uphill struggle to fend off Mnangagwa’s maneuvers to extend his rule beyond 2028.
Mnangagwa’s warning at the Central Committee meeting makes it clear that the purge is far from over, and more Chiwenga loyalists could soon find themselves ousted as the President tightens his grip on power.