Infiltration fears as Zanu PF axes 172 rogue affiliates
Story By Nqobani Ndlovu and Tinashe Kairiza
Many Zanu-PF affiliate groupings may be operating without legal party status. They failed a vetting exercise, according to the ruling party’s 2026 central committee report. The report recommended only 80 of 252 applicant organisations for approval.
How affiliates join the party
Zanu-PF’s constitution lets organisations acquire affiliate membership through a formal application. In practice, the party has long struggled with self-styled affiliates.
As far back as 2023, senior party officials warned that organisations were “imposing themselves” on the party. They said every group must apply formally and submit a constitution and a list of executives.
In early 2026, the party began vetting the leadership of 181 affiliated groups. Officials feared that succession factions were drawing some affiliates in. They also worried that some groups were misusing presidential empowerment funds.
What the vetting found
The central committee report confirms the outcome. “The commissariat department, together with the department of national security, has completed the vetting exercise for party affiliates,” it reads in part.
The commissariat received 252 applications and recommended 80. The party now bases approval on a new formula. It rewards an affiliate’s contribution to party growth, as its province confirms.
What the security vetting examined
According to the minutes, the security department assessed each organisation’s integrity. It wanted to protect the party from infiltration, fraud, reputational damage and conflicting loyalties.
Vetters examined the identity and background of office bearers. They reviewed each organisation’s constitution, objectives and registration status. They also checked sources of funding and material support.
The process looked for links to criminal networks, hostile intelligence activity or violent groups. Vetters also reviewed internal governance, financial controls, conflicts of interest and undisclosed political commitments.
Reforms for the next vetting cycle
The report recommends standardised procedures built on written criteria and risk categories. It also proposes records of consent and disclosure, review periods, and an appeals or clarification mechanism.
“Vetting findings must be evidence-based and confidential,” the report read. It adds that unverified allegations, ethnicity, religion, and lawful or personal association should not disqualify anyone.
The Varakashi and the informal support network
The latest figures shed light on the party’s sprawling informal support ecosystem. This includes the Varakashi, a social media network widely described as aligned with Zanu-PF. The group is active chiefly on X. There it attacks political opponents, human rights defenders and independent journalists.
A 2026 report by the Johannesburg-based watchdog Intelwatch describes the Varakashi as an organised digital group “tasked with defending the ruling party and its leadership”. The group operates through anonymous or pseudonymous accounts. Intelwatch says these accounts engage in targeted harassment and delegitimisation. In some cases, they make explicit threats of physical and sexual violence.
Unlike the formal affiliates, the Varakashi never applied to the commissariat. They operate outside direct party leadership. They are not a constitutionally registered membership organisation.
Reporting based on original coverage by Standard.
