By Political Correspondent
HARARE — Fresh factional tensions have erupted in Zanu PF following a blistering rebuke from outspoken special presidential advisor Paul Tungwarara.
The remarks by Tungwarara are widely interpreted as a direct attack on Kudakwashe Tagwirei, the business magnate whose political influence within the party has skyrocketed in recent months.
At a recent rally in Manicaland, Tungwarara delivered what many insiders describe as a thinly veiled warning to Tagwirei and his network.
Speaking to an energised crowd, Tungwarara said leadership is earned through character and service rather than entitlement-driven political ambition fuelled by wealth and influence and not grounded in political ideology.
“Let me help everyone with ambitions. The character of a true leader is revealed even in small responsibilities, such as herding cattle.
“If your actions do not show any leadership qualities at that level, then forget about aspiring to be a leader,” said Tungwarara.
“You cannot simply believe that having money qualifies you to become President.
“Leadership has nothing to do with wealth; it is about being anointed by God Himself,” added Tungwarara.
The metaphor of cattle herding was more than a quaint reference; it was a public admonition aimed at the wealth-driven faction now rising within the party, a faction many see as anchored by Tagwirei.
Party insiders say the speech deliberately sought to question the legitimacy of money as a pathway to political power, hitting directly at Tagwirei’s rapid ascendancy.
Tagwirei’s entry into Zanu PF’s central committee did not happen without friction.
Initially resisted by Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, his eventual co-option was endorsed by the ruling party Politburo last year, cementing his role in one of the party’s most powerful organs.
This co-option marked a significant shift, positioning Tagwirei as a key player in succession politics and a new power broker within Zanu PF.
Tensions escalated sharply after Tungwarara defeated Tagwirei’s preferred candidate, Justin Matsatsira, in the Manicaland central committee vote.
Party insiders allege Tagwirei, stung by the loss, turned to Zanu PF national political commissar Munyaradzi Machacha, widely perceived as being on Tagwirei’s payroll, to nullify Tungwarara’s victory using procedural technicalities.
Machacha cited the rule that replacements had to come from the same district as the outgoing member.
Observers argued that this was a political maneuver rather than a genuine procedural enforcement, aimed at curbing Tungwarara’s meteoric rise.
Despite Machacha’s attempts to nullify the result, Zanu PF Manicaland province endorsed Tungwarara as the candidate to be co-opted into the central committee.
In December, Zanu PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa confirmed that the matter concerning Tungwarara’s co-option would be resolved by the Politburo, the party’s highest decision-making body.
Adding another layer to the drama is Temba Mliswa, the former Norton legislator, who has publicly criticised Tungwarara’s Manicaland intervention.
While Mliswa positions himself as a neutral analyst, insiders accuse him of acting as a proxy for Tagwirei, citing a recently leaked audio.
In the recording, he is allegedly heard demanding compensation for political support to Tagwirei, seeking protection for Tagwirei’s allies from smear campaigns, and discussing the ouster of former Energy Minister Fortune Chasi for allegedly ignoring Tagwirei’s advice.
Though the audio’s authenticity remains unverified, its circulation reinforces perceptions that Mliswa is aligned with Tagwirei’s faction, even as he claims independence.
Mliswa on a recent social media
The clashes between Tungwarara and Tagwirei reveal more than personality clashes, they expose the battle lines over the soul of Zanu PF.
Tungwarara’s rapid rise, built on grassroots programmes like the Presidential Borehole Scheme and Veterans Housing Fund, threatens Tagwirei’s ambition to be a central kingmaker in succession politics.
Factional manoeuvring now intersects with wealth, procedural rules, and strategic leaks.
Tungwarara represents a rising, independent power base that could rival Tagwirei, who has entrenched financial muscle within Zanu PF.
