Chiwenga and Mnangagwa: Mnangagwa’s Long Drive and Chiwenga’s Absence Stir Leadership Concerns

Chiwenga and Mnangagwa: Political unrest is still on the rise in Zimbabwe, as seen by the recent incidents that have highlighted the division between Vice President Constantino Chiwenga and President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Growing evidence suggests that the once strong relationship between these two influential politicians may be fracturing, raising questions about Zimbabwe’s leadership’s future. Even though July Moyo, the public service minister, made an apparently innocent statement, it revealed deeper divides inside Zanu PF that are now irreversible.

Many people were taken aback by Chiwenga’s conspicuous avoidance when he failed to show up for the Chinhoyi function. Even though he was supposed to attend, his inexplicable absence has come to represent the mounting hostility between Zimbabwe’s senior leaders.

Moyo’s statement during his vote of gratitude, in which he brought up Chiwenga’s apologies—surprised a lot of people, even Mnangagwa, who didn’t seem to know that his deputy had decided not to attend. It’s uncommon and instructive that there would be a gap of this magnitude at the top of the government.

The fact that Mnangagwa’s deputy has withdrawn from important national events at a time when public discontent over a collapsing economy and widespread corruption is growing is a strong indication that something is wrong. Chiwenga’s absence was publicly acknowledged, which suggests that Zimbabwean politics may be changing.

Speculation is further stoked by Mnangagwa’s choice to forgo his normal plane transport in favour of a strenuous 330-kilometer drive. Was it a calculated action considering possible security risks, or is it a sign of more serious internal fears?

Concerns about Mnangagwa’s safety have frequently surfaced, particularly in light of the power struggles inside Zanu PF. At the Chinhoyi function, attendees—including graduates and their families—were detained for about an hour as Mnangagwa’s entourage got ready to leave. Security was stern.

The President’s choice to forego the aviation route is quite telling. That kind of road trip sounds extravagant for an elderly leader, unless, of course, there’s something more sinister going on behind the scenes.

Even while this seems like a singular incident, it is part of a larger story about growing distrust and division inside Zimbabwe’s ruling party. The evident strain boiling beneath the surface is reflected in a letter that was released and warns against internal divides from Munyaradzi Machacha, the political commissar of Zanu PF.

Political rumours notwithstanding, these internal divisions have major ramifications for Zimbabwe’s government, especially as the party prepares for its upcoming congress. Long seen as kingmakers within Zanu PF, the District Coordinating Committees (DCCs) are apparently being targeted by factions looking to gain control. Such actions might change Zimbabwe’s political landscape and usher in a new period of unpredictability.

Mnangagwa continued to participate in the 20th graduation ceremony at Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT) in the midst of all of this, but even in this setting, it was impossible to ignore the political overtones. The President probably wanted to reassure the country that his administration is still devoted to economic growth with his message, which was centred on industrialisation and innovation. The graduation’s theme was “Inventing for Sustainable Growth:

In comparison to the reality that many Zimbabweans currently live with, “Towards an Industrialised Zimbabwe”—seemed more positive. The public’s faith in the government’s economic policies is eroding as a result of the country’s horrible inflation and the recent depreciation of the value of the Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG) currency relative to the US dollar.

Chiwenga’s absence from this significant occasion, meanwhile, raises the possibility that certain elements of the ruling class are preparing for a future struggle for leadership.

The President’s handling of the economic crisis has given rise to rumours that Mnangagwa’s team is planning to remove him. There may be significant ramifications for Zanu PF as well as for the overall political stability of Zimbabwe from this split inside the ruling party.

Even as Mnangagwa publicly praised academic accomplishments and progress made towards a middle-class economy, it was impossible to overlook the political unrest that was simmering beneath the surface.

With pressures from the inside and outside threatening to alter the political landscape of the country in unanticipated ways, the future of Zimbabwe’s leadership is still up in the air.

The aspirational goal of reaching middle-income status appears to be at odds with Zimbabwe’s reality of a divided leadership, general public unhappiness, and mounting discontent inside Zanu PF as the country moves closer to 2030.

It is unclear if Mnangagwa and Chiwenga will stick together or break apart, but one thing is for sure: Zimbabwe’s political future is far from secure.

More: The Zim Bulletin