Mnangagwa reshuffles cabinet in preparation for PLAN B as succession battle and Zanu PF third term plot

A simmering power struggle within Zanu-PF, Zimbabwe’s ruling party, is reaching a boiling point as the party’s annual conference in Bulawayo approaches. At the heart of the turmoil is a controversial plot by President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s loyalists to amend the constitution and extend his mandate beyond 2028.the year his current mandate expires in accordance with the current constitutional framework.

This ambition, known as the “2030 agenda”, is causing deep divisions within the party, exposing existing factionalism and raising questions about the future of Zimbabwean politics.

The party is deeply fractured, with internal strife evident even before the conference. Party members report significant issues repeatedly arising during the recent cell restructuring exercise, highlighting underlying tensions and disagreements. Although Mnangagwa has publicly stated his intention to retire in 2028 as stipulated in the constitution, his loyalists continue to actively promote the 2030 agenda, seeking to circumvent constitutional limits on presidential terms.

This push for a constitutional amendment has found support mainly within the Zanu-PF youth and women’s leagues. However, it lacks the support of key groups such as the military and war veterans, creating a sharp divide within the party’s power structure. Party sources reveal that the youth league is actively mobilizing to formally propose the constitutional amendment, with Zanu-PF deputy youth secretary John Paradza playing a leading role.

“He has been criss-crossing the country pushing the 2030 agenda, promising empowerment in exchange for supporting the constitutional amendment,” a party member revealed, shedding light on the tactics employed to garner support for the controversial plan. This claim is also supported by a recent meeting of Zanu-PF youths at the Dadaya Youth Training Camp in Zvishavane where they pledged to support the 2030 agenda and received empowerment starter packs.

However, Paradza denies any political motivation behind the meeting, claiming that it was purely a youth empowerment initiative organized by the youth empowerment ministry. Minister Tinoda Machakaire corroborated this, highlighting the meeting’s focus on youth empowerment and unity within the Zanu-PF family. “We gathered there to empower youth across the country by giving them starter packs to start businesses in various fields,” Machakaire said. “My message to the youth was that they must be disciplined and be united like the Zanu PF family.”

Despite these denials, the timing of the meeting, days before the annual conference, has raised eyebrows among observers. Adding to the complexity, an obscure Zanu-PF group, the General Association of Chiwenga Voluntary Followers, which claims to represent military veterans, women’s associations and youth associations, has publicly criticized Paradza, accusing him of orchestrating the Dadaya meeting and promote a “sick”. -Conceived meeting.”

“His arrogant declaration that President Mnangagwa will remain in power until 2030 is not only a blatant affront to our nation’s democratic processes, but also a direct attack on the legitimacy and position of (Vice President) General Chiwenga,” he said. the group to a strongly worded statement. “Paradza and his Dadaya faction represent a minority desperate to cling to power through undemocratic means, and their confrontational rhetoric is nothing more than an act of cowardice.”

The 2030 campaign is widely seen as an attempt to sideline Vice President Constantino Chiwenga in the succession race, a view reinforced by Chiwenga’s conspicuous absence from any public pronouncements supporting the 2030 slogan. The historic role of the Zanu-PF youth league in shaping the party’s agenda is significant, recalling its pivotal role in supporting Robert Mugabe’s continued rule despite his declining health.

Adding another layer of complexity, The Midlands and Masvingo provincial structures are reportedly planning protests against a known critic of President Mnangagwa, the suspended leader of the Zimbabwe War Veterans Association (COZWA), Munyaradzi Shoko, for his open opposition to the agenda 2030..

A Zanu PF member in the Midlands, Chaplain Chirume, confirmed these plans, saying: “We are against those who attack our party and our president. Our leader is President Emmerson Mnangagwa until 2030, that’s when we will start to talk about succession…

Meanwhile, President Mnangagwa’s recent cabinet reshuffle, swapping Frederick Shava from Foreign Affairs to Education, has fueled speculation about a “Plan B” should his bid for a third term fail.

Award-winning investigative journalist Hopewell Chin’ono, in a Facebook post, suggested the move is part of Mnangagwa’s strategy to groom Shava for a possible leadership role if the 2030 agenda fails.

“Many people have asked me why Zimbabwean tyrant Emmerson Mnangagwa swapped Frederick Shava for Amon Murwira, moving Shava from Foreign Affairs to Education.. I didn’t know that either, but after some research, the common thread that emerges is that Mnangagwa is preparing for the possibility that if he doesn’t get a third term, he would prefer someone other than his vice president to take over, only since Robert Mugabe was ready for someone other than his deputy, Mnangagwa, to succeed him.

“The idea behind moving Shava from Foreign Affairs, which requires extensive travel, is so that he can focus on domestic issues in preparation for this potential bid, should Mnangagwa’s third term bid fail. Mnangagwa and Shava are the only cabinet ministers from the 1980s still active in current politics and in cabinet.Shava carries the baggage of the Willowvale scandal, but that pales in comparison to the deep corruption in Zimbabwe today.

“The Willowvale scandal, also known as the Willowgate scandal, was a major event in Zimbabwe’s political history that occurred in the late 1980s. It involved senior government officials, including Frederick Shava, who was a minister, who were involved in corrupt activities related to the illegal resale of vehicles. The scandal led to the resignation of five members of President Robert Mugabe’s cabinet, one of whom, Maurice Nyagumbo, committed suicide,” Chin’ono wrote. .

This highlights the intense pressure and uncertainty surrounding the succession battle within Zanu-PF. The upcoming conference promises to be a pivotal moment, one that may shape Zimbabwe’s political landscape for years to come.

Zanu PF information director Farai Marapira, while acknowledging ongoing discussions within provincial structures, remained non-committal on the 2030 agenda, stating that

“It is the right of every party member to have an opinion, that is the vitality of democracy, that is the whole point about democracy, that is the vitality of Zanu PF, democracy alive in Zanu PF,” he said.

Another senior party member predicted the usual rhetoric around the 2030 agenda, suggesting open challenges to Mnangagwa or his policies are unlikely given the distance to the next elective congress. “If anyone dares to pull surprises, they are likely to be sabotaged and neutralized before they reach 2027,” the member warned.

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