President Emmerson Mnangagwa has moved to quell growing tensions within Zanu-PF, declaring that the ruling party “is not private property” amid escalating succession disputes with his deputy, Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga, over the party’s leadership beyond 2028.
Speaking at the official opening of Zanu-PF’s 22nd National People’s Conference in Mutare on Friday, Mnangagwa stressed that the party belongs to all Zimbabweans and not to any one leader or group.
“Zanu-PF is not private property; it can never fit into anyone’s pocket,” he said. “It is a mammoth revolutionary party guided by its constitution, ideology, and structures — not personal ambition.”
Mnangagwa urged unity and discipline among party members, warning against tribalism, regionalism, and corruption, which he described as “cancerous to the ongoing national development agenda.”
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He called on delegates to remain loyal to the party’s founding values and to focus on national priorities such as the National Development Strategy and preparations for the next harmonised elections.
Mnangagwa’s remarks come amid a deepening power struggle with his deputy over control of the ruling party and the question of succession.
The rivalry, simmering since the 2017 military-assisted transition that brought Mnangagwa to power, has resurfaced ahead of the Mutare conference and the 2028 election cycle.
At the centre of the tension is the controversial “ED2030” campaign — a push by Mnangagwa’s loyalists to extend his rule beyond the constitutional two-term limit ending in 2028.
Chiwenga’s camp has reportedly opposed the move, insisting that Mnangagwa should step down after completing his second term, paving the way for a leadership transition in line with the party’s constitution.
The succession feud has exposed deep factional divisions within Zanu-PF, with rival camps vying for influence in provincial structures, the politburo, and security institutions.
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