Mutsvangwa Tells Chiwenga Faction To Wait For 2027 Party Congress

ZANU PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa has urged the faction supporting Vice President Constantino Chiwenga to defer its political ambitions until the party’s elective congress in 2027.

The call comes amid rising factional tensions ahead of next month’s National People’s Conference in Mutare.

The ruling party has been divided over proposals to amend the Constitution to extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s second and final term from 2028 to 2030.

Meanwhile, other members, particularly war veterans, want elections in 2028, with Chiwenga as a potential candidate.

Speaking to journalists at ZANU PF headquarters on Monday, Mutsvangwa said Zimbabweans are “happy” with Mnangagwa’s leadership. He said:

“It is a democratic party. There is palpable prosperity being delivered to Zimbabwe and the membership of ZANU PF is happy with that man.

“They have not seen anything to blemish him. They say if it ain’t broke, do not fix it. Let’s wait for the date.

“That debate should not be for all of ZANU PF. Yes, there are some people who cannot wait to rule.”

Factional tensions within ZANU PF escalated recently after Chiwenga reportedly submitted a dossier to the politburo detailing alleged corrupt dealings by a group of businessmen closely linked to Mnangagwa.

While Mutsvangwa did not mention Chiwenga by name, he said the politburo had rejected the dossier outright. Said Mutsvangwa:

“There are some people who are urging on one of the people in the presidium to be in a confrontational mood with the whole politburo.

“It is not good for that member. I am not talking to him, I am talking about people who are urging him on.

“To survive a war is a matter of lucky and once you survive and you begin to see virtue in yourself then you are not respecting those who you left behind. We never fought the war as generals. We fought as commanders. There were no Generals in the war.

“The president said there was this dossier which came from somewhere and the politburo said we do not deal with dossiers which do not come from proper institutions.”

Chiwenga has yet to publicly declare any presidential ambitions, while Mnangagwa has repeatedly stated that he has no intention of extending his term beyond 2028.

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