A crucial Zanu PF politburo meeting scheduled for Friday afternoon was abandoned after senior officials had gathered at the party's headquarters in Harare. The meeting was reportedly expected to consider amendments to the Zanu PF constitution before the party's 23rd National People's Conference, which runs from October 12 to 17 at Chinhoyi University of Technology. Zanu PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa confirmed the postponement, attributing it to competing engagements.
However, sources close to the party claim that the meeting was abandoned due to resistance from Chiwenga to proposed changes intended to align the Zanu PF constitution with Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment No. 3. The changes are linked to Mnangagwa's extended tenure and have sparked controversy within the party. According to reports, Chiwenga demanded to inspect draft party amendments being handled by Zanu PF secretary-general Jacob Mudenda before Mnangagwa entered the meeting.
A senior Zanu PF source rejected the official explanation, arguing that a politburo meeting would ordinarily take precedence over other party engagements. The source claimed that Chiwenga argued in front of other politburo members that changes to the national Constitution had not originated from the people and should not be used as the basis for altering the ruling party's constitution. This has sparked speculation about a possible rift between Chiwenga and Mnangagwa.
Political activist Jealousy Mawarire published a detailed but unverified account of the events, alleging that Chiwenga demanded that Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi produce specific resolutions authorising each change to the national Constitution. Mawarire claimed that Chiwenga then instructed Mudenda to inform Mnangagwa that the proposed amendments would not be discussed, leading to Mnangagwa abandoning the meeting.
However, former Norton MP Temba Mliswa, an ally of Mnangagwa, dismissed Mawarire's version as "absolute lies" and promised to publish what he described as the correct account in a video on Saturday. Mliswa said the cancellation had "nothing to do with VP Chiwenga" and accused unnamed figures of forcing every internal Zanu PF disagreement into a succession narrative.
The dispute follows Mnangagwa's signing of Constitutional Amendment No. 3 in July, which extended presidential and parliamentary terms from five to seven years and postponed elections originally expected in 2028 until 2030. Critics describe the changes as an unconstitutional attempt to prolong Mnangagwa's rule, while supporters say they provide continuity and sufficient time to complete development programmes under Vision 2030.
The increasingly public disputes have drawn comparisons with the internal Zanu PF conflict which preceded the military intervention that removed Robert Mugabe in November 2017. The aborted meeting has increased attention on Zanu PF's annual conference, where the party's constitution and Mnangagwa's continued leadership could become major battlegrounds. The conference is expected to be a crucial test of Mnangagwa's leadership and the party's unity.
Key points
- The Zanu PF politburo meeting was abandoned amid claims of a dispute between Chiwenga and Mnangagwa over proposed amendments to the party's constitution.
- The proposed amendments are linked to Mnangagwa's extended tenure and have sparked controversy within the party.
- The dispute has drawn comparisons with the internal Zanu PF conflict that preceded the military intervention that removed Robert Mugabe in 2017.
