Mnangagwa Strikes Again at Chiwenga: “We Don’t Want the Devil’s Spirit in Our Party”
Story By Staff Reporter
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has lashed out at Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga. The two are locked in a fierce succession battle, and the rift between them is widening. Mnangagwa warned: “Hatidi mweya waRegioni muMusangano wedu,” which is Shona for “we don’t want the devil’s spirit in our party.”
What “Regioni” Means
In the Bible, Legion (Regioni in Shona) refers to a multitude of demons. They possessed a man in the New Testament stories found in Mark 5:1–20 and Luke 8:26–39.
A Fierce Succession Battle
Chiwenga installed Mnangagwa in power after the November 2017 coup. That coup ousted the late former president Robert Mugabe. At the time, Chiwenga was Zimbabwe Defence Forces commander. Now he clearly feels entitled to succeed Mnangagwa.
However, Mnangagwa’s camp and its political forces are resisting this. Mnangagwa does not want Chiwenga as his successor, and this has created infighting. Instead, he wants billionaire Kudakwashe Tagwirei or retired General Philip Valerio Sibanda, the former Zimbabwe Defence Forces boss.
Mnangagwa’s Warning to the Central Committee
Mnangagwa pushed back strongly at a tense Zanu PF central committee meeting. The meeting took place at the party headquarters in Harare. He told members:
“The Party and national interest remain central and at the core of our discussions. I urge us to distinguish between principled contributions intended to improve the Party and reject conduct that seeks to divide or derail the Conference Agenda. Preferences of cliques and narrow inclinations, among other retrogressive acts, have no place in our Party.
Hatidi mweya waRegioni muMusangano wedu (we don’t want the devil’s spirit in our party).”
Boycotts Fuel the Rift
At the politburo session yesterday, Mnangagwa also took a swipe at his co-deputy. Chiwenga had boycotted the President’s Fundraising Dinner Ball on Saturday evening. Zanu PF raised about US$10 million for the conference. Yet Chiwenga was the only member of the Top Six, or presidium, to boycott it.
Moreover, he skipped the late tycoon Wicknell Chivayo’s funeral last week. He also missed Tagwirei’s swearing-in on Monday as the new Economic Development and Investment Promotion minister.
Conference Opens Under a Cloud
The crucial politburo and central committee meetings are part of the annual national people’s conference. It officially opens on Friday in Chinhoyi, Mashonaland West province. However, the meetings are taking place under an ominous cloud. Contentious constitutional amendments and heightened succession infighting hang over them.
Reporting based on original coverage by NewsHawks.
