Mutare, Zimbabwe – Vice President Constantino Chiwenga has been accused of making statements considered treasonous against the Constitution and President Emmerson Mnangagwa, intensifying a growing succession struggle within ZANU-PF.
The accusations come ahead of the ZANU-PF National People’s Conference in Mutare this week, where leadership and succession issues are expected to dominate. Chiwenga, a retired general who led “Operation Restore Legacy” to remove former President Robert Mugabe in 2017, has criticized Mnangagwa for turning the party into a personal enterprise backed by wealthy businessmen.
A memo reportedly written by Chiwenga on October 7, 2025, and leaked online, accuses Mnangagwa’s allies—including Kudakwashe Tagwirei, Wicknell Chivhayo, Scott Sakupwanya, and Delish Nguwaya—of embezzling more than US$3.2 billion from public funds. Chiwenga wrote that the president is repeating past mistakes and betraying the legacy of the 2017 coup.
Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi publicly dismissed the claims as “reckless, baseless, and bordering on treason,” noting that many of the contracts criticized by Chiwenga were approved by the same Cabinet he serves in. Ziyambi warned that such political agitation could amount to subversion.
Once a key power broker for Mnangagwa, Chiwenga now appears politically isolated. Military colleagues who supported him have retired or aligned with the president, while business backers have shifted allegiance. Even his loyalists in the armed forces are reportedly prioritizing survival over his ambitions.
Chiwenga has relied on online campaigns, releasing so-called intelligence leaks and dossiers alleging corruption among Mnangagwa’s allies. Analysts say these claims have been repeatedly debunked but signal a desperate effort to regain influence.
Political insiders suggest Chiwenga hopes to recreate the conditions of 2017, but warn that the public, military, and political context has changed. “There’s no army, no public anger, and no legitimacy for another intervention,” said a senior party official.
At the Mutare conference, Mnangagwa’s camp is expected to secure measures reinforcing his leadership until 2030, while Chiwenga’s faction opposes them as unconstitutional and a betrayal of the liberation legacy. Analysts say the conference will decide whether ZANU-PF survives as a party or becomes centered around one individual.
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