HARARE – A recently circulated video of former Zanu-PF legislator Joseph Chinotimba has added new momentum to ongoing debates inside Zanu-PF regarding the use of money, cars and cash handouts to cultivate political support ahead of the party’s 2028 succession race.
In the video, Chinotimba is heard telling a colleague at the Zanu-PF headquarters that he confronted senior party officials in a closed-door meeting, criticising what he described as the “shameless” parade of wealth by certain individuals aligned to powerful factions.
He expressed frustration that people “who do nothing but play songs using their bodies” were now receiving cars, a comment understood to be aimed at recent high-profile vehicle donations to musicians, social media personalities and party loyalists.
“Munongoti chero atambisa magaro motope vanhu vasina nebasa,” he is heard saying in the video clip.
His remarks echo mounting criticism within sections of the ruling party over the growing influence of businessmen such as Wicknell Chivayo, Paul Tungwarara and Kudakwashe Tagwirei, who have in recent months distributed vehicles and cash to individuals backing President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Vision 2030 political programme.
Critics inside and outside the party argue that these donations amount to the buying of political loyalty and are deepening divisions within Zanu-PF.
Chinotimba’s video comes weeks after Vice President Constantino Chiwenga delivered one of his most direct critiques yet of the flashy displays of wealth by newly rich Zimbabweans linked to the ruling elite.
Speaking at a public gathering, Chiwenga questioned the priorities of individuals who had “accumulated significant wealth” but were not investing in productive sectors of the economy.
“Some people wake up saying, ‘I am now rich, I now have money,’” he said.
“Why don’t they build factories for people to get employment from that money if it’s excessive?”
He also warned against relying on foreign investors for national development, insisting that no outsider would build Zimbabwe on behalf of its citizens.
Although Chiwenga did not mention names, his remarks were widely interpreted as criticism of the same business figures now under scrutiny for their largesse within Zanu-PF.
Chinotimba’s remarks and Chiwenga’s comments highlight simmering tensions in the ruling party as internal debates intensify ahead of the 2028 leadership transition.
Since the 2017 military coup that ousted former President Robert Mugabe, Chiwenga, who played a central role in the process, has been regarded as the automatic successor to Mnangagwa.
The emergence of the 2030 agenda, promoted by Mnangagwa’s loyalists and backed by well-connected business interests, has, however, been viewed by analysts as an attempt to delay or block Chiwenga’s ascendancy.
Although President Mnangagwa has consistently dismissed allegations that he intends to remain in power beyond 2028, he has not stopped his supporters from promoting the 2030 agenda.
In fact, when his loyalists chant slogans linked to extending his rule, he is often seen smiling and clapping, raising questions about his sincerity regarding the constitutional two-term limit.
