Zanu PF Politburo Meeting Cancelled Amid Mnangagwa–Chiwenga Clash
Story By Staff Reporter
Zanu PF cancelled a crucial politburo meeting scheduled for 2pm today. Sources say fierce clashes between President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga caused the cancellation. The two men disagree over a proposal to amend the party constitution and align it with Constitutional Amendment Act No. 3. The party’s annual conference runs from 12 to 17 October at the Chinhoyi University of Technology in Mashonaland West Province.
Party Officials Downplay the Cancellation
Zanu PF spokesperson Chris Mutsvangwa blamed a scheduling problem. “There was a clash or an overflow of programmes, and the meeting was postponed,” he said.
Information and Publicity Director Farai Marapira gave a similar account. He described it as a “clash of programmes; but nothing serious”.
Party officials will address a press conference shortly at the Spirit Embassy: The Goodnews Church in Braeside, Harare. Annual conference fundraiser Phillip Chiyangwa is expected to speak to journalists.
A Succession Battle Moves to the Party Constitution
Mnangagwa and Chiwenga are locked in a bitter succession battle, and it is intensifying ahead of the conference. In Chinhoyi, the fight will shift from the national charter to the party’s own constitution.
Mnangagwa and his allies want a wholesale review of the party constitution to match the new national supreme law. Chiwenga’s faction, rooted in the military and war veteran structures, strongly opposes the move.
The Chiwenga camp sees the review as a calculated political manoeuvre. They believe it would push the succession timeline from 2028 to 2030. In their view, that would let Mnangagwa consolidate power and lock Chiwenga out of the presidency.
A senior official described the mood in the party. “In the corridors of power, the smiles are frozen, and the daggers are drawn,” he said. “The situation is exacerbating. The fight is now over the amendment of the party constitution to align it with the national constitution. There will be blood on the floor.”
Chiwenga Skips Chivayo’s Funeral
The tension has already spilled into public view. Chiwenga boycotted the funeral of the late tycoon Wicknell Chivayo in protest over the succession issue. Chivayo was a financial and power broker in the ruling party, and Mnangagwa called him his “son” and “friend”. His shock death sharply escalated the succession battle.
What Constitutional Amendment Act No. 3 Changes
The conflict now centres on Constitutional Amendment Act No. 3. The Act extends Mnangagwa’s tenure from 2028 to 2030. It also changes how the country chooses its president, replacing a direct vote with a parliamentary selection. In addition, it lengthens the terms of the president and parliament from five to seven years.
Mnangagwa’s faction says the changes are necessary. They cite “continuity” and “stability”, finishing infrastructure projects and delivering the “Vision 2030” economic framework.
The Chiwenga camp rejects this argument. They call the amendments a “constitutional coup” and a form of constitutional subversion.
An Existential Struggle for Political Survival
The fight over aligning the party constitution is not a dry administrative exercise. For both camps, it is now a struggle for political survival.
On paper, Mnangagwa has outmanoeuvred Chiwenga by using state infrastructure and constitutional reforms. That may only be true for now. Today, Chiwenga hit back by forcing the postponement of the politburo meeting, which would be unprecedented in Zanu PF history.
Changing the rules of the game carries grave risks for Mnangagwa. Many observers now compare the situation to the period before the November 2017 coup under the late former president Robert Mugabe.
Reporting based on original coverage by NewsHawks.
