Zanu PF is in trouble again. This time the problem is not coming from the opposition but from inside its own ranks. The ruling party is now deeply divided over how powerful new members are added into its leadership structures. The firestorm began when rich businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei was brought into the Central Committee through a controversial process that many believe broke the party’s own rules. Confusion and anger are spreading like wildfire within the party.
This process of adding someone new is called co-option. Normally it is done through agreement or voting by existing members. But in Tagwirei’s case that process was ignored or rushed. Party insiders are furious. The fallout is so serious that Zanu PF is now rushing to write a new document to clarify how co-option should work moving forward.
The circular is being drafted by the national political commissar Munyaradzi Machacha and secretary-general Obert Mpofu. These two are no small players in the Zanu PF machine but even they are struggling to control the chaos. Some powerful leaders in the party back Tagwirei while others are totally against him. The division is deep and adds more tension to a party already shaken by the growing succession war between President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his deputy Constantino Chiwenga.
Last Wednesday the politburo held a meeting. Machacha gave a report that Tagwirei should be co-opted. No one objected so it seemed like there was agreement. But the very next day when Tagwirei showed up at the Central Committee meeting he was kicked out by Chiwenga himself. That moment was not just embarrassing. It confirmed what many suspected all along. Zanu PF is no longer one party. It is two camps at war.
Tagwirei says he does not want to take over from Mnangagwa but many do not believe him. His money his influence and his fast rise through the ranks make people uneasy. Provinces like Harare and Masvingo were quick to support his inclusion. They said they like him because of his business success. But others argue he has no political experience and is only being pushed forward because of money. That accusation cuts deep and touches the heart of the crisis within the party.
Harare Province won the early round when it managed to push for Tagwirei’s inclusion. But Chiwenga and his allies blocked it. Now the entire co-option process looks like a joke. The party’s own rules are being twisted and ignored depending on who is in charge of the moment. So now the leadership is scrambling to fix the mess. They are trying to update the rules to avoid more embarrassment in the future.
Before 2022 Zanu PF rules said if one seat became empty it could be filled temporarily. But if many seats became empty then a new election had to be held. The 2022 changes now say that a co-option must happen within three months. If two people are fighting over a seat then a vote must decide. But if too many people leave then the whole group is disbanded and replaced. In Tagwirei’s case none of these steps were followed properly and that has triggered the storm.
The fight is far from over. The party is now exposed. It is clear that there is confusion mistrust and a hunger for power more than anything else. Tagwirei’s case has become a symbol of everything that is wrong inside Zanu PF. The same leaders who promised to rebuild Zimbabwe are now fighting to control a sinking ship.
Ordinary Zimbabweans are watching and wondering how a party that cannot follow its own rules can be trusted to govern a country. While Zanu PF fights over positions the people are left in poverty and silence. Machacha and Mpofu remain quiet. But the truth is loud. Zanu PF is no longer united and the cracks are now too deep to cover.
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