By Innocent Sibonginkosi Ncube
Zim GBC News Editor
HARARE – A stormy Zanu PF politburo meeting on Wednesday was rocked by explosive allegations from Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, who accused businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei of siphoning billions of dollars intended for the party to buy influence and capture its structures, Zim GBC News can reveal.
The extraordinary confrontation, which occurred during the last politburo meeting before the party’s annual conference, has exposed deep fissures within the ruling party’s top echelons.
According to highly placed sources, VP Chiwenga arrived at the meeting armed with a detailed dossier alleging that Tagwirei diverted at least US$3.2 billion through a shadowy 45% Zanu PF stake in Sakunda Holdings.
The stake is allegedly held in trust by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Vice President Kembo Mohadi, and party legal secretary Patrick Chinamasa.
“He said the party had never received a cent,” a source recounted.
“Instead, Tagwirei was using what was essentially Zanu PF’s money to capture its structures, with the complicity of the trustees.”
In a dramatic moment that left the room in “quiet astonishment,” Chiwenga reportedly demanded the immediate arrest of Tagwirei and several high-profile beneficiaries of the alleged scheme, including businessmen Wicknell Chivayo, Scott Sakupwanya, and Delish Nguwaya.
Chiwenga did not spare President Mnangagwa, directly accusing him of being the ultimate beneficiary of Tagwirei’s largesse. He pointed to recent high-profile donations by Chivayo, including luxury vehicles and cash to provincial chairmen, as evidence of the systemic rot.
The tension escalated when State Security Minister Lovemore Matuke accused Chiwenga of plotting to seize power. Chiwenga fired back, reminding Matuke of his liberation war record and his role in securing Mnangagwa’s safety during the 2017 coup that ousted former President Robert Mugabe.
“What makes Matuke think he now wants to remove him undemocratically?” the source quoted Chiwenga as saying.
A visibly unsettled President Mnangagwa announced the formation of a committee, led by Obert Mpofu, to investigate the claims. Sources indicate the president is now considering cancelling his scheduled trip to the United Nations General Assembly to manage the escalating crisis.
The rift spilled into Thursday, with Mnangagwa pointedly avoiding the customary pre-meeting with his deputies before a central committee gathering, a significant breach of protocol.
In his address, President Mnangagwa appeared to subtly address the internal strife, emphasising the importance of preparing for the 2028 elections, a statement seen as rowing back from earlier declarations by his loyalists that there would be no polls.
This clash lays bare the fierce succession battle within Zanu PF, pitting Mnangagwa’s camp against that of his deputy, long seen as his inevitable successor. The stage is now set for a bruising power struggle as the party heads to its annual conference in Mutare next month.
For breaking news, follow us on:
·X (Twitter): @ZimGbc ·Instagram: @ZimGBCNews
·TikTok: @ZimGBCNews_01 ·Facebook: Zim GBC News
·YouTube: Zim GBC News
Get real-time alerts on WhatsApp:
+263 773 820 323
For in-depth coverage, visit our website: www.zimgbcnews.co.zw
Zim GBC News | Global News From An African Perspective©2025