By Victor Fanuel
Harare – President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s investment adviser to the United Arab Emirates, Temptor Paul Tungwarara, is on the cusp of a dramatic political entrance, with plans afoot to co-opt him into the Zanu PF Manicaland provincial executive as secretary for finance, multiple sources within the party have confirmed.
Tungwarara, a businessman-cum politician who has amassed millions through state-linked deals, is reportedly positioning himself to unseat the incumbent provincial treasurer, Richard Mandiwanzira, a seasoned Zanu PF operative.
Insiders say the move is part of Tungwarara’s broader strategy to build political capital in Manicaland and use the provincial post as a launchpad to contest in Buhera West constituency in the 2028 general elections.
His impending co-option follows mounting internal tensions within the ruling party, as rival factions scramble for influence ahead of a possible succession battle.
Tungwarara, a close ally of Mnangagwa, is seen by some within the party as attempting to replicate the failed entry of another Mnangagwa-linked tycoon, Kudakwashe Tagwirei, into the Zanu PF central committee.
Just last week, Tagwirei was humiliated when he was ordered to leave a central committee meeting on July 3 despite having been nominated by Harare province.
Vice President Constantino Chiwenga reportedly instructed his removal, citing irregularities in the nomination process.
Zanu PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa later lambasted Tagwirei’s ambitions, accusing him of lacking ideological grounding and suggesting he start at grassroots level before attempting senior party posts.
“It was procedurally wrong and the constitution had to be read out to him (Tagwirei) that ‘you are not yet a member and that you are coming into an institution with principles and guidelines’.”
“This ignorance or naivety indicates that his beginning should be the Chitepo School of Ideology.
“The tenets of the party are concretised in its constitution and if you are coming in you have to relate accordingly,” said Mutsvangwa.
Now, party insiders warn that Tungwarara may face similar resistance.
“Tungwarara is trying to elbow his way into power the same way Tagwirei did,” said a Zanu PF official familiar with the developments.
“He wants to control provincial finances and position himself for a parliamentary run, but not everyone in Manicaland is comfortable with that.”
Tungwarara’s political ambitions are closely tied to his business interests, particularly his lucrative deals with the state.
In May 2025, his company Prevail Group signed an agreement with the government to provide 50,000 serviced housing stands for war veterans under the Presidential Stands for Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Programme.
While publicly framed as a gesture to honour liberation war fighters, the programme has been widely criticised as a political campaign vehicle designed to shore up support for Mnangagwa’s “Agenda 2030” an informal campaign aimed at extending his rule beyond the constitutional two-term limit ending in 2028.
Earlier, Tungwarara’s company had also benefited from an opaque borehole drilling project for war veterans, raising questions over the true cost and purpose of the schemes.
Zanu PF sources say Tungwarara’s ascendancy is being quietly backed by senior figures loyal to Mnangagwa, but resistance is brewing, particularly from grassroots party structures and veteran politicians who view the move as another elite imposition on party organs.
With Mandiwanzira still holding the finance portfolio in Manicaland, any attempt to dislodge him could trigger further factional infighting, deepening existing rifts in a province that has historically swung between loyalty and dissent.
Whether Tungwarara’s campaign will succeed remains uncertain, but the parallels with Tagwirei’s failed power grab are drawing attention and caution.
“It’s not enough to be rich or close to the President,” said a Zanu PF insider.
“The party is bigger than individuals. If Tungwarara doesn’t follow the rules, he’ll be humiliated just like Tagwirei,” added the Zanu PF insider.
