🇿🇼 ZANU-PF Political Shifts: Sibanda’s Role and Mnangagwa’s Future
WATCH LIVE as Gambakwe looks at the significant and expected political maneuvers within Zimbabwe’s ruling ZANU-PF party, specifically focusing on President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s strategy to consolidate power, particularly in relation to his Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, through the anticipated appointment of retired General Valerio Sibanda to a key party or government role. The discussions also touch on the future of the “ED 2030” vision and broader party dynamics.
Key Points from ZANU-PF Deliberations
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ZANU-PF Meetings: The week features crucial ZANU-PF meetings, starting with the Politburo, followed by the Central Committee (Wednesday and Thursday, respectively), and concluding with the Advisory Council (Friday), to finalize the party’s December schedule and internal appointments.
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Valerio Sibanda Announcement: A major announcement is expected this week regarding retired General Valerio Sibanda, possibly his appointment to a high-ranking position within ZANU-PF, potentially starting with the Central Committee.
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Chiwenaga Neutralisation Strategy: Sibanda’s entry into the political space is widely viewed as a strategic move to neutralize or “checkmate” the influence of Vice President Chiwenga, creating a balance of power between two senior military figures.
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Contrasting Profiles: Chiwenga is described as a powerful and highly-regarded figure within ZANU-PF and even among the opposition, while Sibanda is perceived as a more neutral, measured, and preferred figure to succeed Mnangagwa by the President’s inner circle.
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ED 2030 Update: An announcement is also anticipated on the “ED 2030” vision, with the expectation that President Mnangagwa will bring the debate about extending his term to 2030 to an end, suggesting he may not pursue the term extension.
Key events for today
ZANU-PF Politburo meeting today, central committee tomorrow and Advisory council on Friday.
To Trending News
1. Pokello launches wine can in Mbare.
2. Nyokayemabhunu court case postponed to 15 January
3. The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) is also planning to release redesigned, more durable ZiG banknotes in early 2026 to enhance public confidence and combat counterfeiting.
4. Businessman Wicknell Chivayo, who is a benefactor and had previously settled the club’s US$27,000 debt to avoid a FIFA transfer ban, offered to pay former Zimbabwe international Benjani Mwaruwari’s full salary and provide a car if Highlanders appointed him as head coach. This was an addition to a separate US$1 million sponsorship package already pledged to the club.
Business
Depositors of Ithala, a KwaZulu-Natal-owned company, will be able to access their frozen funds starting December 8, 2025, with National Treasury making R2.2 billion available for the repayments. The South African Reserve Bank’s Prudential Authority moved to liquidate Ithala in January 2025 after the company failed to meet regulatory requirements, resulting in a freezing of depositor accounts. FNB has been appointed to facilitate the payout process, which will begin with a verification of depositors.
Africa
1. The National Assembly has adopted new rules to subject the presidency’s funds, specifically Budget Vote 1, to full parliamentary scrutiny by establishing a dedicated committee responsible for overseeing the presidency and its financial allocation. This measure is intended to enforce increased accountability, moving beyond the previous process where the budget was merely voted on without undergoing deep committee processing and structured oversight.
Community
Mve 2kg Soghum meal special
Vloggers
1. Milly Tsitsi Christmas In China
2. The Last Laugh of 2025″, scheduled for December 11, 2025, at the Beacon Theatre in New York, which is generating interest among fans. He has also just performed a show in London on December 2.
Notes
A severe hailstorm hit Pretoria North and surrounding areas in Gauteng province, South Africa, on the night of December 1, 2025, into the early hours of December 2. It dumped massive amounts of hail—described by residents as sounding like “rocks falling”—creating deep layers of ice that resembled snowdrifts, up to several feet thick in places. This led to “channels” or paths forming as some ice melted or shifted, flooding streets, damaging homes, cars, and infrastructure, and prompting evacuations in affected neighborhoods. The video in the post accurately depicts this aftermath, showing icy buildup around buildings and vehicles in a residential area.
KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) experienced significant hailstorms and severe thunderstorms on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, which heavily impacted areas like the Midlands, Pietermaritzburg, Hilton, and Howick, disrupting traffic on the N3 highway.
The Political Landscape in Zimbabwe
The week’s anticipated events are central to the internal political dynamics of ZANU-PF. The focus on appointing retired General Valerio Sibanda to a position of influence is a clear indication of a power consolidation strategy by President Mnangagwa. Sibanda, a former Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF), was previously appointed as an ex-officio member of the ZANU-PF Politburo in October 2023, a move that was seen by analysts as an attempt to consolidate the President’s power base and potentially unconstitutional, given the prohibition on serving security sector members engaging in partisan politics.
The current Vice President, Constantino Chiwenga, who played a key role in the 2017 power transition, remains a significant political force. The suggested introduction of Sibanda into the party’s highest ranks, potentially as Vice President, is interpreted as a direct effort to balance or reduce Chiwenga’s power ahead of the 2028 elections.
Furthermore, the expected announcement on the “ED 2030” vision suggests a shift in focus. While there have been resolutions from the ZANU-PF Annual People’s Conference to extend President Mnangagwa’s tenure past the constitutional 2028 limit to 2030, the President has not openly rejected this push. The anticipated announcement could signal whether he intends to proceed with the controversial constitutional changes or abide by the current two-term limit, which would end his presidency in 2028. The speaker suggests that the President is now “comfortable” enough to step down, implying that his consolidation of power has minimized risks to his post-office life.
