By Political Reporter –Zanu PF’s internal power struggles are spilling into the open, with mounting evidence that the ruling party is rigging its own primary elections to sideline rivals and consolidate factional control ahead of crucial by-elections.
The party has nullified the results of its Insiza North primary election held on May 3, 2025, citing failure “to meet the minimum accepted standards.” The move, announced by provincial chairperson Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndlovu, has exposed deepening factional tensions within the ruling party and confirmed what many have long suspected: Zanu PF’s expertise in electoral manipulation is now being turned inward in the absence of a strong external opposition.
Matabeleland South Youth League chairperson Moses Langa, who won the contest with 2,478 votes, now finds his victory under threat. He had outpaced several contenders, including Delani Moyo (1,564 votes) and Dr Qhubani Moyo (983 votes), among others. However, insiders allege that the primary was marred by procedural violations and behind-the-scenes manoeuvring by rival camps fighting for dominance in the post-Mugabe Zanu PF.
Similar chaos has gripped Masvingo province, where senior officials face a storm of allegations following the April 16 primaries. A petition lodged on April 26, 2025, accuses provincial secretary for commissariat Brian Munyoro and Chiredzi District DDC PC Daniel Mawere of stuffing pre-filled ballot boxes to rig the vote in favour of Austin Phikelele in Chiredzi East’s Ward 4. Phikelele emerged the winner with 633 votes.
The petition—signed by Fanuel Mhlatiwa, Philemon Muvhundi, Onias Makuni, and Nadia Chirhomo—details a brazen subversion of democratic processes. Witnesses reported agents exiting polling stations during voting, the smuggling in of marked ballot papers, and a suspiciously shortened voting period from 11 am to 2 pm, which saw hundreds of voters turned away.
Critics say the rushed vote was designed to accommodate party leaders who wanted to attend the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF), undermining the rights of party supporters and candidates alike.
When contacted, Munyoro deflected responsibility, citing party protocol, while provincial chairperson Rabson Mavhenyengwa claimed ignorance of the petition and questioned why complainants approached the media instead of the party structures.
The Chiredzi East scandal, combined with the reversal of the Insiza North results, reflects broader cracks in Zanu PF as rival factions—aligned variously with President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Vice President Constantino Chiwenga—scramble to place loyalists in strategic constituencies. Analysts warn that the primary elections have effectively become battlegrounds for factional supremacy, with outcomes manipulated to weaken internal challengers ahead of the 2028 general election.
“The rigging we’re seeing is not just about winning a seat—it’s about securing control of the party machinery,” said a senior Zanu PF insider. “Every ward, every constituency has become a proxy war.”
The internal contestation has overshadowed preparations for the June 28 by-elections, triggered by the death of Insiza North MP Farai Taruvinga and the expulsion of Gutu East MP Benjamin Ganyiwa. While Langa was initially announced as the Insiza North candidate and Zvarevashe Masvingise as the Gutu East nominee, the internal disputes cast doubt over both selections.
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), already under fire for its handling of the controversial 2023 elections, is now under renewed scrutiny. Civil society groups and opposition parties fear that the culture of electoral fraud within Zanu PF could spill over into national contests, with ZEC again complicit in protecting ruling party interests.
The Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) and other opposition outfits are expected to contest the upcoming polls, but sustained arrests of their leaders, harassment of activists, and a closing democratic space suggest they face an uphill battle.