By A Correspondent| Exiled former ZANU PF national political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere has launched a blistering attack on controversial businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei, dismissing him as a “fraudster” who is manipulating the ruling party for personal gain and accusing senior party officials of selling out the legacy of the liberation struggle.
Responding to recent remarks in which Tagwirei reportedly labelled him “very corrupt”, Kasukuwere struck back with venom, painting a picture of a party captured by opportunists and rent-seekers. He accused Tagwirei of buying influence within ZANU PF and ridiculed the party’s current trajectory under the stewardship of individuals he says are more loyal to wealth than ideology.
“A good fraudster is not necessarily a good politician,” Kasukuwere charged in a statement widely shared online. “Trying to turn a thief into a leader is the ultimate betrayal of the revolutionary party by a reactionary leader.”
Kasukuwere, who has remained vocal from exile since the 2017 military-assisted ouster of long-time leader Robert Mugabe, did not mince his words in lambasting the party’s current leadership. He appeared to take a veiled swipe at President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s inner circle, particularly the current ZANU PF National Political Commissar, Munyaradzi Machacha, for allegedly bowing to the whims of Tagwirei.
“How does a whole NPC Machacha subordinate himself to a crook? Hurombo huroyi!” he exclaimed, a Shona phrase suggesting that poverty can lead to witchcraft-like behaviour.
Kasukuwere further alleged that Tagwirei is actively spreading rumours within the party ranks that President Mnangagwa is unwell and has already anointed a successor — presumed to be Tagwirei himself.
“He has paid people and is telling them that ED is sick and he has been anointed. ED must come out and explain to the party and nation if indeed he is no longer fit to lead,” Kasukuwere said, demanding clarity from the ZANU PF leader.
The former minister also mocked the rise of Tagwirei within the party structures, likening it to a frog that stumbles into the Central Committee and believes leaping can get it anything.
“When a frog wakes up in ZANU(PF) Central Committee, it thinks all other positions are acquired by leaping!” he quipped.
Kasukuwere’s remarks add fuel to growing speculation over ZANU PF’s internal succession battles and the influence of business moguls like Tagwirei within its ranks. Critics have long accused Tagwirei of capturing key state institutions and profiting from opaque deals — claims he has consistently denied.
In recent weeks, Tagwirei has also been forced to respond to allegations of harbouring presidential ambitions, insisting publicly that “there is no vacancy in the Office of the President” and calling such speculation “foolish talk.”
But Kasukuwere’s scathing statements appear designed to ignite fresh debate over the moral direction of ZANU PF and whether those currently steering the ship are acting in the spirit of the liberation movement — or for private enrichment.
“The game has begun and that rimming mouth will not be opened again,” Kasukuwere warned cryptically, hinting that more revelations and confrontations may lie ahead.