By A Correspondent

Zanu PF has denied reports that controversial businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei was ejected from a Central Committee meeting after alleged intervention by Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, insisting that his co-option into the party’s top decision-making body was merely postponed—not blocked.

Sources within Zanu PF claimed that tensions flared during the party’s Central Committee meeting on Thursday, with Chiwenga reportedly objecting to Tagwirei’s appointment. According to these insiders, the Vice President allegedly forced Tagwirei to leave the meeting, effectively halting his co-option.

However, Zanu PF’s Director of Information and Publicity, Farai Muroiwa Marapira, strongly dismissed the claims, describing them as deliberate distortions meant to stir division within the party.

“The co-option was not rejected,” Marapira clarified.

“When provinces nominate individuals to go to the Central Committee, the Central Committee then ratifies those nominations. What happened is that the Central Committee was simply not able to ratify these nominations because it had other pressing issues to attend to, especially those related to the upcoming conference. The ratification was postponed to a later date, and this is all that occurred. Everything else that is being said is conjecture and falsehoods.”

Despite the official denial, the episode has heightened speculation over growing internal tensions within the ruling party, particularly between different power factions linked to President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Vice President Chiwenga.

Tagwirei, a well-known ally of Mnangagwa and CEO of Sakunda Holdings, has been a key financier of Zanu PF campaigns in recent years. His increased visibility in formal party structures has sparked concern among some senior officials, who reportedly view his rise as politically intrusive.

A senior party member, speaking on condition of anonymity, said:

“Some feel that bringing Tagwirei into the Central Committee is turning the party into a business club. There are murmurs that Chiwenga and others want to draw a line between financiers and core political actors.”

While Zanu PF maintains that the businessman’s fate will be determined at a later stage, the controversy underscores the delicate balancing act the party faces as it blends corporate interests with political power.

The Central Committee, which comprises 300 members, is expected to reconvene in the coming weeks ahead of a major Zanu PF conference. It remains to be seen whether Tagwirei’s nomination will proceed smoothly—or if it signals deeper fractures within the party’s hierarchy.