By A Correspondent – ZANU PF’s internal power struggles have reportedly intensified in Manicaland, with former Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) commander, Lieutenant General (Retired) Anselem Sanyatwe, and his close associates increasingly targeted over his perceived allegiance to Vice President Constantino Chiwenga.
Sanyatwe, who was removed from his post in the army by President Emmerson Mnangagwa ahead of planned protests by war veteran Blessed Runesu Geza on 31 March, is said to be at the centre of a factional purge orchestrated by Mnangagwa loyalists.
In the latest development, state security agents from the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO), in conjunction with the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA), shut down seven branches of Madhadha Liquor—an enterprise owned by Sanyatwe’s son-in-law, Danmore Mambondiyani. The raids, carried out last week in Harare, have raised suspicions of political persecution, particularly as the outlets were not given the chance to regularise operations—a standard procedure in normal enforcement cases.
Mambondiyani, who also serves as ZANU PF Youth League Deputy Secretary for Administration, has previously faced scrutiny. His fuel company, Liquid Cargo, recently came under fire over contested allegations that its fuel had damaged customers’ vehicles, though the claims were widely dismissed as politically motivated.
Party insiders allege that the clampdown is part of a broader strategy by Mnangagwa’s allies to neutralise figures loyal to Chiwenga in the succession race ahead of the 2028 elections. Sanyatwe is widely believed to back Chiwenga’s presidential ambitions, positioning him as a threat to Mnangagwa’s camp.
Sources cited by NewsDay claim the crackdown was orchestrated by senior ZANU PF officials from Manicaland aligned with Mnangagwa, including David Munowenyu, the chief executive of Discovery Ambulance Services—a company believed to be linked to controversial cleric Uebert Angel. Munowenyu is accused of collaborating with intelligence operatives to undermine Sanyatwe’s influence by targeting his family’s businesses.
However, when contacted, Munowenyu dismissed the allegations, saying:
“It’s just name-dropping. I think it’s naïve to involve me. If ZIMRA is doing its job and closing people’s outlets for whatever reason, what has that got to do with me?
How do I get involved in the factionalism of such a big party? I’m just a small fish. I didn’t know I had such influence.”
ZIMRA spokesperson Gladman Njani declined to comment on the involvement of CIO officers during the raid, citing client confidentiality.
The developments further highlight the deepening rifts within ZANU PF, with factional battles increasingly spilling into state institutions and the private business sector, as the race to succeed Mnangagwa intensifies.