Political Correspondent
In a fiery social media broadside, former legislator Temba Mliswa has accused Vice President Constantino Chiwenga of political grandstanding and violating “sacrosanct protocol” for his public criticism of businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei, whom Mliswa described as the open secret behind the ruling party’s finances.
The scathing critique, delivered on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, follows reports of an explosive Politburo meeting where VP Chiwenga allegedly accused Tagwirei of siphoning billions of dollars from ZANU PF through a stake in his Sakunda Holdings empire.
Mliswa argued that Chiwenga’s decision to air such grave allegations in public was deeply flawed and damaging, insisting that the matter should have been handled privately with President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
“Corruption is a national problem which can’t be hijacked for a few political points,” Mliswa stated.
“That’s why I argued that the VP should have engaged the President in a different setting if the agenda was actually about making a national plan to deal with corruption.”
The former MP claimed it is common knowledge within political circles that Tagwirei is a primary financier for the ruling party, making the public criticism disingenuous.
“We all know how ZANU PF as a party is literally bankrolled by Kuda; funding the entire payroll for it’s HQ, buying cars for everyone from the top to the bottom,” he posted.
“Why should any one of the leaders then besmirch others when all of them have been benefitting?”
Drawing from his traditional role as a village head, or Sabhuku, Mliswa advocated for a private approach to resolving disputes before they become public spectacles.
“Ini saSabhuku I meet villagers with problems & offer them advise. When the issue persists we then bring it to the public forum, kuDare (to the Court)… It’s a sacrosanct protocol that upholds privacy, preserves dignity & advances development,” he explained.
He issued a stark warning that such public “uppercuts” risk causing irreparable damage to the party.
“An antagonistic approach that begins by flaying others open only serves to deepen divisions, creates rifts and weakens the party. As it is, every political destitute, orphan and passerby, is feasting on the fractured figure of the party!”
Mliswa concluded that the issue of corrupt elites, or Zvigananda—a term popularized by Chiwenga himself—is not new and requires a unified government response, not internal political warfare.
“Zvigananda isn’t a new phenomena, neither is it a preserve of any one side of the political factions,” he argued.
“Thus, it should be dealt with through both a united front and a legitimate Gvt scheme not through impromptu uppercuts to decimate political opponents.”
The public rift highlights deepening tensions within the upper echelons of ZANU PF, following reports that Chiwenga confronted President Mnangagwa directly in the Politburo, demanding the arrest of businessmen allegedly capturing party structures.
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