HARARE – Former Norton legislator Temba Mliswa has accused sections of Zanu-PF’s leadership in Manicaland Province of greed, corruption and disregard for the party constitution following the nullification of presidential adviser Paul Tungwarara’s attempted co-option into the Central Committee.
Mliswa said the insertion of the Politburo into the Manicaland co-option process “reeks of greased hands and lined pockets,” arguing that the party’s constitution clearly stipulates who qualifies to fill the vacant seat.
He maintained that the position should have gone to a woman from the same administrative district as the outgoing member, a requirement he said Tungwarara does not meet.
Mliswa dismissed claims that the dispute reflected factional infighting, instead blaming what he described as greed among Manicaland leaders.
He said National Political Commissar Munyaradzi Machacha had correctly stated in the nullification notice that the seat must be filled by a woman from the same district, adding that the rules were unambiguous.
“What part of that clarity in the requirements needs the obfuscation of the Politburo?” Mliswa asked.
He warned that failure to adhere to the constitution undermines the party’s credibility and the rights of women within Zanu-PF. He cited Manicaland Women’s League figures such as Angeline Gata as examples of capable female leaders who were being overlooked.
“The party needs to be consistent in adhering to their Constitution even where individuals are paying their way up the ladder as it is clear that the various leaders in Manicaland were given money and they resolved to go against a clear Constitutional dictate.
“Why is the party allowing such flagrant disregard for the rights of women? Manicaland has very able female leaders like Cde Gata who did well winning her constituency.
“She is young too. Overlooking such sends a wrong message about women, how they are not respected in the party,” Mliswa stated.
His remarks came after Zanu-PF’s national leadership formally voided Tungwarara’s co-option, which had been approved by the Manicaland Provincial Coordinating Committee (PCC) during its 7 December 2025 meeting.
The decision was conveyed in an 11 December letter from Machacha to provincial chairperson Tawanda Mukodza.
In the letter, Machacha ruled that the PCC had violated party procedures by endorsing a candidate who was not from the same administrative district as the former Central Committee member, Dorothy Mabika of Chipinge.
Tungwarara is not from Chipinge, making the co-option unconstitutional, according to the party’s rules.
Machacha also reiterated Zanu-PF’s prohibition on inducements, cautioning that the distribution of money, food or other goods to influence internal processes would amount to vote buying and could lead to disqualification.
Several PCC members accused Tungwarara of handing out cash and food at the December 7 meeting.
Senior party officials said the nullification was intended to uphold discipline and constitutional order. Treasurer-General Patrick Chinamasa publicly endorsed the decision, saying he supported Machacha’s ruling “one hundred percent.”
Mliswa rejected comparisons between Tungwarara’s case and the earlier co-option of businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei in Harare, arguing that the two situations were “vastly different.”
He said Tagwirei’s elevation followed established procedures, while Tungwarara was a recent political entrant whose rapid rise had unsettled party structures.
