HARARE – ZANU PF Infighting Stalls Tagwirei’s Central Committee Bid Amid Succession Tensions
ZANU PF’s internal power struggles and deepening succession battles have once again come to the fore, with the ratification of controversial businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei’s appointment to the Central Committee postponed amid apparent factional resistance.
Tagwirei, a politically connected businessman with vast interests in Zimbabwe’s energy, mining, and agriculture sectors, had been nominated by the party’s Harare Province. However, his path to formal entry into ZANU PF’s highest decision-making body between congresses hit a snag during a Central Committee meeting held yesterday, where the matter was conspicuously deferred.
Insiders say the move reflects growing discomfort within some party factions over Tagwirei’s increasing political influence, especially amid unresolved succession tensions linked to the post-Mnangagwa era.
While party spokesperson Farai Marapira downplayed the issue as “purely procedural,” the delay signals deeper fault lines in a party already grappling with questions of leadership and internal coherence.
“It is just a procedural issue. The Central Committee has to ratify those cadres first before they assume membership in the Central Committee,” Marapira said in an attempt to contain speculation.
However, observers note that the deferment is part of a broader political chess game as various factions jostle for control of key party structures ahead of future leadership contests.
Tagwirei’s close ties to powerful figures and his economic clout have raised eyebrows within the party, with some viewing his nomination as a strategic move by one faction to tighten its grip on the levers of power.
The businessman, who leads Sakunda Holdings, has been at the centre of controversy for years, accused by critics of benefiting from opaque state-linked deals and wielding disproportionate influence over government policy. His attempted elevation to the Central Committee has now become a flashpoint in ZANU PF’s simmering internal battles.
What was supposed to be a routine procedural step has instead exposed the ruling party’s fragile unity and the political undercurrents threatening to destabilise its leadership structure.
As the wait for Tagwirei’s ratification continues, so too does the speculation over what – or who – is really driving the delay.
