The decision
follows a controversial resolution passed last year to extend Mnangagwa’s rule
to 2030, a move that has deepened divisions within the ruling party.
Factional
strains have recently played out in tense Politburo meetings, including one
last month where Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga reportedly tabled a
dossier accusing some of Mnangagwa’s closest allies of grand corruption.
However, Zanu
PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa told the Zimbabwe Independent that the
party remains firmly behind the president.
“The organs,
the provinces and the party membership are quite happy with His Excellency’s
stewardship of the party and membership,” Mutsvangwa said.
“Their dictum
is: ‘If it ain’t broke, why try to fix it?’ The delegates have expressly and
vehemently resolved to continue with His Excellency till 2030. They have
drowned out other noises of unbridled, undeserving and self-centred ambition.”
He said the
party would use the conference to demonstrate unity and silence talk of
factionalism.
“The cacophony
of social media trolling has no resonance in the closed membership of the
organs, provinces and membership of Zanu PF,” he added, dismissing the
criticism as coming from “detractors, regime change practitioners and agents of
political destabilisation”.
The conference
will run from next week Friday to October 18 at the Mutare Polytechnic Pavilion
Grounds, preceded by politburo and central committee sessions in Harare. About
4 000 delegates are expected to attend, including foreign guests, down from
nearly 7 000 participants in previous years.
This year’s
event will be held under the theme “Attainment of Vision 2030 Through Economic
Empowerment and Value Addition”.
On corruption
allegations within the party, Mutsvangwa said Zanu PF respected the separation
of powers and would not interfere in legal or executive processes.
“The party
drafted, sponsored and passed statutory provisions that handle corruption
issues. Being highly constitutional, the party will not stray into executive
and legal domains in contravention of the constitution,” he said.
“As party
spokesperson, I am yet to receive any formal letters of central committee
appointments of candidates. Beyond this, everything else is in the realm of
speculation and hearsay.”
Zanu PF’s
director of information and publicity, Farai Marapira, also moved to dismiss
talk of succession battles, saying the issue was not on the conference agenda.
“To educate the
generality of Zimbabweans, succession is dealt with at congress. We are not
going to congress; we have congress in 2027. We are going to a conference,”
Marapira said.
“The issue of
succession is not a concern within Zanu PF ... We will not allow a conversation
to be imported into the party. We are going to a conference to continue with
checking up on the mandate which we received from the people in 2023.” Zimbabwe
Independent
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