Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. The full-time political entry of businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei into Zanu-PF has reignited the contentious 2030 agenda within the ruling party, a campaign linked to a faction supporting President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s possible term extension by two years beyond the constitutional limit.
Mnangagwa’s current term is set to end in 2028 according to Zimbabwe’s constitution, and he has previously expressed his intention to retire at that time. However, Tagwirei’s formal co-option into the Zanu-PF central committee last week, coupled with his public chanting of the 2030 slogan during a vehicle donation event for the party’s Harare provincial leadership, signals a revival of the campaign.
The 2030 agenda had somewhat receded following strong opposition from war veteran Blessed Geza, who mounted a spirited challenge against efforts to extend Mnangagwa’s stay in office. Yet insiders within Zanu-PF suggest Tagwirei is being positioned as a serious contender to Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga in the succession race.
Sources close to party circles reveal that Tagwirei enjoys the backing of First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa and her children, who reportedly fear potential retribution should he ascend to power.
Political analyst Rashweat Mukundu described the 2030 campaign as having dual aims. “The ED2030 slogan has two dimensions — one seeks to extend Mnangagwa’s term to 2030 through constitutional amendment, while the other represents a faction rallying to have him anoint a successor,” Mukundu said. “This provides Mnangagwa with plausible deniability, as the slogan is presented as the wishes of his supporters, which he tacitly endorses. Either way, the campaign’s goal is to keep Mnangagwa in power longer or to ensure a chosen successor takes over. If Mnangagwa truly opposed it, he would have stopped it by now.”
Political commentator Jealousy Mawarire warned that Tagwirei faces a steep challenge in overcoming the military’s influence in the succession battle. “If Tagwirei manages to outwit the military, he will be the first Zanu-PF presidential hopeful to do so since 1977,” Mawarire remarked. “It is actually easier for the army to remove Mnangagwa and replace him with Chiwenga than for Tagwirei to rise through the party ranks and become first secretary.”
Vice-President Chiwenga has publicly taken a strong stance against corruption. Speaking at the burial of Justin Mupamhanga at the Heroes Acre in January, he condemned corrupt officials, labeling them “Zviganandas” — leeches who enrich themselves through illicit means. “Our Vision 2030 is for all of us, not for those you call mbinga (corrupt),” Chiwenga stated. “During the war, we referred to them as zvigananda: those who grow big tummies through ill-gotten wealth and questionable morals. The time to deal with them is fast approaching.”
As the political contest intensifies within Zanu-PF, Tagwirei’s emergence adds a new dynamic to the ongoing debates about succession and the future direction of the party and country ahead of the 2028 presidential term limit.
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