President Emmerson Mnangagwa is now the only ZANU-PF official authorised to hand over vehicle donations, following a new party directive aimed at curbing internal power contests and the growing influence of wealthy benefactors linked to succession speculation, party insiders have revealed.
The directive —
reportedly endorsed during a series of high-level meetings in Harare between
Wednesday and Friday last week — is meant to centralise political philanthropy
under one authority and stem what senior figures view as factional mobilization
disguised as generosity.
The decision
follows months of extravagant vehicle donations to ZANU-PF members by powerful
business figures and political elites, a trend that had begun to shape internal
rivalries, particularly around the race to succeed the 83-year-old Mnangagwa.
Party sources
told The Standard that President Mnangagwa instructed that all future vehicle
donations to party structures must be processed through his office alone. The
move followed a proposal tabled by ZANU-PF chairperson Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri
during the politburo meeting.
Muchinguri-Kashiri
is said to have expressed concern that some individuals were using resources to
buy influence and position themselves for advancement, effectively turning
philanthropy into a political bargaining tool.
"The
politburo affirmed that there is one centre of power in ZANU-PF and it is
President ED Mnangagwa," a senior official said.
"Vehicle
and money donations were becoming divisive. From now on, any support must be
channelled through the president, who will deploy resources fairly and in line
with party needs."
The directive
appears to close the door on independent car-donation initiatives, which in
recent months have seen businessmen such as Kudakwashe Tagwirei and Wicknell
Chivayo hand out vehicles to politburo members, women's league structures and
provincial officials.
The clampdown
also follows Vice President Constantino Chiwenga's public call last month for
the arrest of businessmen accused of donating cars allegedly purchased using
state or party funds. Some within ZANU-PF viewed the donations as part of a
wider attempt to court loyalties ahead of an anticipated leadership transition.
Sources say
Mnangagwa used last week's meetings to reprimand new and ambitious party
members whom he accused of disregarding protocol and positioning themselves
above party procedures.
A politburo
member said Mnangagwa warned against the rise of what he termed nherwamukono —
individuals who, once elevated into central structures, behave as power centres
in their own right.
"New
members must learn decorum and proper conduct," the insider quoted him
saying.
"Those
joining the central committee should not bring outside agendas."
ZANU-PF
spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa recently hinted that the president was
concerned about shadow-campaigning for leadership positions, in what many
interpreted as a veiled message to Tagwirei, who has denied harbouring
presidential ambitions.
Mnangagwa is
constitutionally expected to leave office in 2028, but senior party members are
mulling a two-year extension — a proposal reportedly opposed by factions
aligned to Chiwenga.
Tagwirei is
viewed by some as a rising power broker within ZANU-PF, and his
philanthropy-driven outreach has fed speculation of an alternative succession
path. With Mnangagwa now assuming full control of party donations, observers
say resource mobilisation may increasingly become a test of loyalty alignment.
During Friday's
National Consultative Assembly session, Mnangagwa reportedly surprised
delegates by chanting "Pasi neZviganda" — a slogan previously
popularised by Chiwenga to denounce individuals accused of accumulating wealth
through state contracts.
The remark has
already stirred debate over the president's target and intent.
Contacted for
comment yesterday, ZANU-PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa declined to
confirm or deny the donation ban, saying he would address the media at a press
briefing.
For now, the
message from party leadership appears clear: Mnangagwa remains the singular
authority over political largesse, and ZANU-PF is moving to rein in parallel
power networks as succession undercurrents intensify.
Whether the new
rule will restore party cohesion — or simply deepen internal rivalry — remains
to be seen as Zimbabwe edges closer to its next leadership transition. Standard
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