ZANU PF FIGHTS OVER TAGWIREI CO-OPTION AS PARTY TEARS ITSELF APART

Zanu PF is in trouble again. This time, the fight is not with the opposition but inside the party itself. The ruling party is now divided over how new people are added into powerful positions. The fight started after rich businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei was pushed into the Central Committee without following clear rules. Many people in the party are now angry and confused.

This process of adding someone into the party structure is called co-option. It means current members choose and bring in someone new, often by voting or just agreeing. But with Tagwirei, many say this was not done properly. The fight is now so big that the party is writing a new document to explain how co-option must be done.

The circular is being worked on by the national political commissar Munyaradzi Machacha and the party’s secretary-general Obert Mpofu. These are powerful men in Zanu PF, but even they are struggling to calm the fire. Some big leaders in the party support Tagwirei. Others are strongly against him. The fight has made things worse in a party that is already shaking because of the succession fight between President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Vice President Constantino Chiwenga.

Last week Wednesday, the politburo had a meeting. This is the highest team in the party that makes important decisions. No one said “no” when a report from Machacha said Tagwirei should be co-opted. So, it looked like they agreed. The next day, Tagwirei came to the Central Committee meeting as if he was now a member. But Chiwenga kicked him out of the meeting. This showed everyone that the war inside the party is real and deep.

Many people believe Tagwirei wants to replace Mnangagwa or at least be in a top position. But he keeps denying this. Still, his money and power make people suspicious. Two provinces, Harare and Masvingo, asked that Tagwirei be added to the Central Committee. They said they want him because of his business success and money. But others say he has no political experience and does not deserve the seat.

Harare Province won the battle to add Tagwirei. But the victory was short-lived. Chiwenga and his supporters stopped the process. This has made the rules of co-option even more confusing. Now the party is trying to fix the mess by rewriting the rules.

Before 2022, the Zanu PF constitution said if a position became empty, someone could be co-opted until the next elections. But if too many people left, then fresh elections had to happen. After the constitution was changed in 2022, the rules now say a person must be co-opted within three months by agreement. If two people are fighting for the same seat, then a vote must happen and the one with more votes wins. But again, if many people in a group leave, the whole group must be dissolved and a new one elected.

The drama is far from over. The party is clearly confused and fighting itself. It is no longer clear who is in charge or who can decide what. Tagwirei’s case has shown how broken Zanu PF is. The party is chasing power and money instead of building the country.

Many Zimbabweans are watching this fight and shaking their heads. The same leaders who promised to fix the country are now busy fighting each other over who joins their group. The people suffer while they fight for power.

Attempts to get answers from Machacha and Mpofu failed. They did not respond. But what is clear is that the ruling party is no longer ruling in peace. The co-option drama is just one part of a bigger problem. Zanu PF is falling apart, and the cracks are now too big to hide.