Zanu PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa has taken a swipe at millionaire businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei, saying he is “not ready” for senior leadership in the party and should first enrol at the Chitepo School of Ideology to learn the party’s values and constitution.
Tagwirei, the politically connected Sakunda Holdings boss and Zanu PF’s biggest donor, found himself humiliated after being ejected from a Central Committee meeting on July 3. His attempted co-option which lacked formal endorsement was blocked, reportedly on the orders of Vice President Constantino Chiwenga.
“It was procedurally wrong. You cannot just parachute into power. That’s uninformed ambition,” Mutsvangwa told The Standard, warning that Tagwirei’s move smacked of “bad faith” and “naivety.”
He said ,“You must understand where you are. You come into the party to serve, not to seize power. The constitution must guide you.”
Mutsvangwa suggested that instead of forcing his way into the top ranks, Tagwirei should start from the grassroots and earn his political stripes.
The public rebuke lays bare a brewing power struggle in Zanu PF, where Tagwirei is increasingly seen as angling to succeed President Emmerson Mnangagwa in 2028. His ambitions appear to have united even long-time rivals like Mutsvangwa and Chiwenga, who view him as a political novice with dangerous influence.
Chiwenga has previously labelled Tagwirei and his allies as “zvigananda” shadowy elites who profit from state contracts while damaging the economy.
