–
Speculation
about
Mnangagwa’s
intent
to
extend
his
term
beyond
2028
has
sparked
deep
divisions
within
the
ruling
Zanu-PF
party
–
One
faction
within
Zanu-PF
is
siding
with
Mnangagwa,
while
the
other
is
pushing
for
Vice
President
Constantino
Chiwenga
to
replace
him
HARARE,
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
is
facing
the
prospect
of
prolonged
political
turmoil
as
calls
grow
for
President
Emmerson
Mnangagwa
to
step
down
over
allegations
of
corruption
and
economic
mismanagement.
The
capital
Harare
and
other
major
cities
were
largely
deserted
on
Monday
as
the
government
deployed
police
in
heavy
numbers
to
thwart
a
call
for
protest
issued
by
a
rival
faction
within
the
ranks
of
Mnangagwa’s
ruling
Zanu-PF
party.
Authorities
said
they
arrested
at
least
95
people
on
charges
of
promoting
public
violence,
fueling
fears
of
escalating
anti-government
sentiment
and
more
protests
over
the
coming
days.
However,
Mnangagwa’s
supporters
within
the
ruling
party
are
still
dismissing
suggestions
of
any
imminent
threat
to
the
82-year-old’s
grip
on
power.
“The
president
is
not
facing
ouster.
What
happened
was
a
very
loud
call
for
demonstrations
on
social
media
which
failed
to
translate
to
reality,”
Farai
Marapira,
Zanu-PF’s
director
of
information,
told
Anadolu.
“In
fact,
as
Zanu-PF,
our
mandate
from
the
people
remains
the
economy,
and
bread-and-butter
issues.
We
are
not
distracted.
We
remain
focused
on
that.”
Why
is
there
a
power
struggle
within
Zanu-PF?
Mnangagwa
first
took
power
in
2017
after
Robert
Mugabe,
the
former
president
and
his
mentor,
was
ousted
in
a
military
coup.
He
is
currently
serving
his
second
and
final
term
in
office,
which
is
due
to
end
in
2028,
but
Zanu-PF
announced
in
January
that
it
was
looking
to
extend
Mnangagwa’s
rule
by
two
years
until
2030.
That
declaration
has
sparked
a
clear
divide
within
the
party,
as
one
faction
has
sided
with
Mnangagwa
and
the
other
is
pushing
for
Vice
President
Constantino
Chiwenga
to
replace
him.
The
faction
supporting
Chiwenga
has
received
a
major
boost
in
recent
days
as
veterans
of
Zimbabwe’s
independence
war,
who
were
previously
backing
Mnangagwa,
turned
against
the
president.
One
of
the
prominent
figures
has
been
Blessed
Geza,
a
war
veteran
and
member
of
Zanu-PF.
Geza,
also
known
by
his
wartime
alias
Comrade
Bombshell,
has
been
leading
the
calls
for
Mnangagwa
to
make
way
for
Chiwenga,
garnering
massive
social
media
popularity.
He
has
openly
accused
Mnangagwa
and
other
top
officials
of
orchestrating
corruption
schemes
and
failing
to
revitalize
Zimbabwe’s
troubled
economy,
leading
to
his
expulsion
from
Zanu-PF
and
accusations
of
treason
from
the
government.
As
Geza
and
others
supporting
Chiwenga
vow
to
continue
their
efforts
to
depose
Mnangagwa,
the
president
has
repeatedly
denied
that
he
intends
to
prolong
his
tenure,
but
messaging
from
his
allies
suggests
otherwise.
He
has
also
taken
steps
that
observers
believe
are
part
of
a
strategy
to
consolidate
power,
such
as
prominent
billionaire
Kudakwashe
Tagwirei’s
inclusion
in
Zanu-PF.
Earlier
this
week,
Tagwirei,
a
major
financial
backer
of
the
party
and
an
entrepreneur
with
expansive
interests
in
energy,
mining,
and
other
sectors,
was
added
to
the
Zanu-PF
Central
Committee,
sparking
speculation
about
him
potentially
being
Chiwenga’s
replacement.
Chiwenga’s
vocal
criticism
of
corruption
involving
Mnangagwa’s
associates
has
reportedly
strained
their
relationship.
At
an
event
in
January,
Chiwenga
indirectly
targeted
Mnangagwa’s
allies
as
he
called
out
corrupt
practices:
“Our
Vision
2030
is
for
all
of
us,
not
those
that
you
call
corrupt
‘tenderpreneurs.’”
Despite
apparent
tensions,
both
Mnangagwa
and
Chiwenga
have
maintained
public
composure,
with
the
latter
so
far
refusing
to
comment
on
the
protests
or
the
president’s
bid
to
extend
his
tenure.
What
next
for
Mnangagwa
and
Zimbabwe?
Analyst
Rashweat
Mukundu
emphasized
that
“premature
political
maneuvering”
surrounding
Mnangagwa’s
potential
third
term
has
fractured
Zimbabwe’s
ruling
party.
“President
Mnangagwa
either
wants
to
continue
beyond
2028,
which
is
constitutionally
impossible,
or
he
wants
to
use
this
chaos
to
create
a
situation
where
he
anoints
his
preferred
candidate,
who
may
not
be
Vice
President
Chiwenga,”
he
explained.
“This
is
a
struggle
for
the
soul
of
the
ruling
party.”
He
pointed
out
that
Zanu-PF
has
never
experienced
a
peaceful
transfer
of
power
in
its
over
six
decades
of
existence,
adding
that
Mnangagwa
has
“failed
to
create
a
new
legacy.”
“That’s
something
he
could
do
by
silencing
calls
to
amend
the
constitution
and
extend
his
tenure,”
said
Mukundu.
Political
observer
Mpumelelo
Hondo
attributes
Mnangagwa’s
declining
popularity
to
his
close
associations
with
controversial
business
figures.
“I
think
Mnangagwa’s
relationship
with
dubious
individuals
like
Wicknell
Chivayo,
who
flaunt
their
wealth
amidst
widespread
poverty,
is
why
he
is
facing
instability
within
Zanu-PF
and
possible
removal
from
office,”
Hondo
told
Anadolu.
Chivayo
gained
notoriety
after
allegedly
failing
to
deliver
on
the
multimillion-dollar
Gwanda
Solar
Project
awarded
by
the
Zimbabwe
Electricity
Supply
Authority.
Mnangagwa’s
public
appearances
alongside
Chivayo
have
further
tarnished
his
reputation.
Zivaishe
Zhou,
a
trade
unionist
and
coordinator
for
the
Zimbabwe
Agricultural
Professionals
and
Technical
Association,
cites
unfulfilled
economic
and
democratic
promises
as
the
key
reasons
for
Mnangagwa’s
waning
popularity.
“Mnangagwa
came
to
power
in
2017,
promising
democratic
and
economic
reforms.
However,
many
Zimbabweans
feel
he
has
reneged
on
these
promises,
presiding
over
an
economy
characterized
by
favoritism,
cronyism,
and
corruption,
causing
significant
fallout
even
within
his
own
party,”
Zhou
said.
With
Zanu-PF’s
internal
power
struggle
threatening
the
country’s
political
stability,
some
experts
feel
Zimbabwe’s
powerful
military
could
likely
play
a
decisive
role
in
who
comes
out
on
top.
“A
closer
look
at
transition
politics
both
at
the
level
of
party
and
state
in
Zimbabwe
reveals
the
continued
conflation
between
Zanu-PF
and
the
military
since
independence
in
1980,”
said
political
analyst
Stanford
Nyatsanza.
“It
is,
therefore,
a
question
of
who
between
the
two
factions
secures
the
military’s
support.”