Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. RULING Zanu PF party commissar Munyaradzi Machacha says businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei is not yet a central committee member, contradicting the ruling party’s legal supremo Patrick Chinamasa who is on record saying the controversial co-option is a done deal.
Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga last month blocked moves by the Zanu PF Harare provincial executive led by Godwills Masimirembwa to push for Tagwirei’s inclusion in the central committee citing violation of party guidelines.
After Chiwenga’s intervention, Zanu PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa came out guns blazing, accusing the businessman of using money to buy positions and indicated that the process to co-opt him to the central committee should be done afresh.
In what appeared to be an indirect response to Mutsvangwa, Chinamasa, who is the Zanu PF secretary for legal affairs, posted a long statement on X (formerly Twitter), where he said Tagwirei’s elevation to the central committee, alongside four others, was a done deal.
The former Justice minister said those opposed to the businessman’s elevation, were motivated by jealousy and their objections had no legal basis.
Chinamasa pulled down the post after a few hours, only to repost it in the wee hours of the next day.
Machacha told NewsDay in an interview over the weekend that the central committee will decide Tagwirei’s fate since Harare province’s position was not final.
“The final position will be made by the central committee,” he said.
“That is how our procedure works.
“Provinces may make recommendations, but it is the central committee which accepts any recommendation or makes any other decision.
“We will wait for the central committee to make the final decision.”
The Harare province co-opted Tagwirei to the central committee in March this year amid talk that he was earmarked to succeed President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Chiwenga is believed to be the front runner in the race to succeed Mnangagwa, but is allegedly now facing stiff competition from Tagwirei, who seems to be enjoying the Zanu PF leader’s backing in the succession race.
In the ruling party’s politburo meeting held last Wednesday, Mutsvangwa is said to have raised Chinamasa’s statement.
“Cde Mutsvangwa told the President to fire him as party spokesperson if he feels that he was not managing his duties well and replace him with Cde Chinamasa,” an insider disclosed.
Mnangagwa did not respond, and there was also deafening silence in the politburo to Mutsvangwa’s charge, even from Chinamasa himself.
The confusion forced Mnangagwa to read the riot act to individuals he accused of being individualistic at the expense of party cohesion.
“Tactics and political chicanery meant to mislead, confuse, as well as divide the party and nation, must be nipped in the bud,” Mnangagwa said while addressing the politburo last Wednesday.
“We must all speak with one voice and march in one direction. Leaders of the party are bound by collective responsibility and must unite around party decisions and resolutions which serve as our ideological and moral compass.”
Mnangagwa urged party members to communicate with discipline, as officials have been using social media to attack each other as the power struggle intensifies.
“Our communication must be disciplined,” he said.
Tagwirei has been pushing to be drafted into the central committee in what observers say was a way of positioning himself for the presidency.
He has been pumping a lot of money, including cars, to Zanu PF officials, a move described as buying the structures to endorse his rise.
He dished out 18 top-of-the-range vehicles to the Harare provincial executive that co-opted him to the central committee.
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