Boost for Chiwenga as Zanu-PF youths condemn Mutsvangwa succession dig

HARARE – The Zanu-PF Youth League has expressed disagreement with party spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa’s recent comments on succession, stating that discussions on the matter are premature and unprocedural.

Mutsvangwa had dismissed the notion that Vice President Constantino Chiwenga is the automatic heir to the party’s leadership, sparking a heated debate within the party.

“Zanu-PF is not a church where people can be anointed, and the president is not the Pope or the Archbishop of Canterbury who anoints priests

“If you think you’re worth it, go and sell yourself to the people. If you clamour for anointment by the president, it means you have failed the litmus test of being a ZANU PF leader.

“Zanu-PF is not a secret society and there is no secret agreement on succession. People are going to vote for their leaders from the grassroots level,” Mutsvangwa said.

Mutsvangwa’s remarks have been interpreted as a subtle challenge to Chiwenga’s apparent front-runner status in the succession contest.

By stressing that Zanu-PF is a democratic entity that rejects “divine rights” or clandestine pacts regarding leadership transitions, Mutsvangwa’s statements implicitly targeted Chiwenga’s perceived advantages.

Zanu-PF Youth Political Commissar Taurai Kandishaya stated that the party does not discuss succession issues with the media, and that everything is done procedurally, in line with the party’s Constitution and ideology.

He stressed that the party is happy with the unity and beneficiaries of the unity that exists within the party.

“We don’t discuss succession issues with the media in Zanu-PF,” Kandishaya said during an interview with the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) on Tuesday.

“There are layout procedures. In fact, in Zanu-PF, almost everything that we do is procedural. We have the Constitution of the party, and we have the ideology of the party.

“So, everything that is done must be found within the four corners of the ideology. The ideology is then supported by the Constitution of the party.

“So, this is not an issue where one can just be seen or heard out there discussing it. It’s unprocedural. As young people in Zanu-PF, we are happy with the unity, and we are beneficiaries of the unity that exists within our party.”

As the battle for succession is intensifying, with Chiwenga allegedly vowing to resist President Emmerson Mnangagwa Mnangagwa’s earlier plans to extend his term of office, Zanu-PF structures across the country are seemingly supporting the President to extend his term of office.

On Sunday, Zanu-PF Bulawayo Province endorsed Mnangagwa to continue his leadership beyond 2028, citing “his unparalleled achievements and commitment to Vision 2030.”

“President Mnangagwa’s leadership has been nothing short of astounding, and we believe that his continued commitment to steering the country towards Vision 2030 is crucial,” said Zanu-PF Bulawayo provincial spokesperson, Archibald Chiponda.

Although President Mnangagwa recently declared his intention to uphold the Constitution and relinquish the presidency in 2028, his resolve to adhere to this schedule is being doubted owing to the behaviour of these Zanu-PF loyalists who are supporting a plan to override the supreme document of the land.