HARARE – ZANU PF has carried out a sweeping mid-term politburo reshuffle, appointing only its fourth Secretary-General in the party’s 62-year history—a move that political analysts say could redefine factional dynamics ahead of the 2028 elections.
The shake-up, announced on 23 September 2025, saw long-serving party heavyweight Obert Mpofu reassigned from Secretary-General to Secretary for Information Communication Technology (ICT). In a key promotion, National Assembly Speaker Jacob Mudenda was elevated from Treasurer-General to the powerful Secretary-General post. Patrick Chinamasa, formerly Secretary for Legal Affairs, stepped in as Treasurer-General, while Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi moved from the ICT portfolio to take over Legal Affairs.
Political commentator and former ZANU PF strategist Professor Jonathan Moyo described the reshuffle as “a calculated rebalancing of power inside the party’s highest decision-making organ,” noting that the Secretary-General post has historically been “a king-maker’s seat and a mirror of where the real influence lies.”
“This is not a cosmetic change. By shifting Obert Mpofu sideways and bringing Jacob Mudenda to the centre, President Mnangagwa is signalling an internal recalibration ahead of the 2027 elective congress and the 2028 general elections,” Moyo said this on his Social Media X account.
“It is a reminder that succession politics remain fluid, and every appointment at this level has implications for 2030 and beyond.”
The rarity of the appointment underscores its significance. Since ZANU’s formation in 1963, only three figures have previously held the Secretary-General title: Robert Mugabe from 1963 to 1977, Edgar Tekere from 1977 until his 1981 dismissal, and Mpofu following the 2022 constitutional amendments that revived the office after decades of dormancy.
Moyo added that the move could sharpen the ongoing succession debate within the party.
“The Secretary-General controls the party machinery and the electoral ground game. Whoever occupies that office inevitably shapes the future leadership contest,” he said.
As ZANU PF braces for an elective congress in 2027 and a high-stakes national poll a year later, the politburo realignment is being closely watched both inside and outside the party. Analysts say the changes reflect President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s bid to consolidate authority while balancing competing factions—an effort that could determine who ultimately carries the ruling party’s banner in the next political era.
