WATCH LIVE: Chiwenga Summons Tagwirei

October 17, 2026

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Zanu-PF 23rd National Conference (Chinhoyi) – Key Points

Zanu-PF VP Kembo Mohadi had a serious verbal clash with co-VP Rtd Gen Constantino Chiwenga shortly before falling ill at the 23rd Zanu-PF National Conference in Chinhoyi.
The incident occurred during a Presidium briefing before Day 4 proceedings.
Chiwenga angrily told Mohadi to “shut up.”
The dispute centered on Chiwenga’s demand that Kudakwashe Tagwirei be called in to answer allegations of distributing US$3 million (US$300k per province) to mobilize hooligans to boo Chiwenga and push for constitutional changes.
President Mnangagwa initially resisted; Chiwenga threatened that Day 4 would not proceed unless Tagwirei was summoned.
Mohadi confronted Chiwenga for “directing the President on what to do.”
Chiwenga repeated that Day 4 would not proceed without Tagwirei.
Mnangagwa gave in and directed protocol official “Mai Gamu” to call Tagwirei.
Tagwirei initially denied the payments but eventually admitted them, claiming they were “only to help fellow Central Committee members.”
Chiwenga reminded Tagwirei that all donations were supposed to go through party leadership or the President.
Chiwenga then demanded that thematic committee meetings be postponed to Day 5 and that all thematic resolutions come to him before being given to Legal Affairs Secretary Ziyambi Ziyambi.
Chiwenga said he wanted to verify that resolutions came freely from the people and were not imposed from the top; he threatened no thematic meetings or conference resolutions if this was not agreed.

What Happened

Mohadi was assisted off stage after falling ill during official sessions.
He experienced sudden discomfort and health complications.
Party chairperson Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri stepped in to finish reading his designated speech.

The Cause

An excessively prolonged opening session, combined with a technical team failure to manage room temperature, resulted in intense heat inside the venue.
The heatwave is believed to have severely affected the Vice President.

Current Status

History of Health Scares

Gutu Campaign Launch: Collapsed at a podium due to diabetic complications during a by-election launch in Gutu West.
University Lecture: Suffered a similar spell while delivering a guest lecture at the University of Zimbabwe.
Esigodini Conference (Dec 2018): Completely missed the annual ZANU-PF conference after falling seriously ill.

Mnangagwa scheduled to officially launch a pre-paid water distribution network in Chinhoyi as the conference concludes.
The project involves replacing over 70 km of aging asbestos pipes to address water shortages.

A commuter omnibus collided with a passenger vehicle in Mbalabala along the Bulawayo–Beitbridge Road this afternoon.

Launch & Purpose

RBZ launching a fully automated “Willing Buyer Willing Seller” forex system in November.
Replaces the semi-manual process.
Aims for transparency and market-driven exchange rates.

How It Works

Testing

Platform passed user acceptance testing in a controlled environment with commercial banks.
Received a clean bill of health from the World Bank.

Key Caveat

RBZ Governor Dr. John Mushayavanhu cautioned the system does not guarantee exchange rate stability or prevent significant rate fluctuations.