Following a dramatic political embarrassment that saw controversial businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei expelled from a ZANU-PF Central Committee meeting on Thursday, July 3, 2025, the ruling party’s Harare provincial leadership is now working behind the scenes to engineer his return—this time with a revised strategy rooted in calculated internal maneuvering.
Tagwirei, a prominent tycoon and long-time ally of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, arrived at the meeting expecting to be formally co-opted into the powerful Central Committee. His nomination was reportedly based on a recommendation from the Harare provincial executive, and many anticipated a smooth confirmation. However, the attempt unraveled after concerns were raised that his appointment lacked the necessary endorsement from the party’s Politburo, prompting officials to eject him from the session in a move that sent shockwaves through ZANU-PF’s internal ranks.
Now, the Harare provincial executive is preparing a political counteroffensive aimed at reintroducing Tagwirei into the party hierarchy through a backdoor strategy. The plan, according to party insiders, will be deliberated during a key provincial meeting scheduled for Sunday, July 6, at Batanai Primary School in Epworth. The main agenda: finding a way to create a leadership vacancy in the provincial top six that Tagwirei can fill, thus enabling his nomination to the Central Committee via a different route.
“The plan is now to create a vacancy in the Harare top six and appoint Tagwirei so that he can be seconded to the Central Committee,” one senior party member confirmed under condition of anonymity. “It’s about managing the optics and navigating procedural hurdles.”
At the center of this strategy is the current provincial secretary for finance, George Chimhini, who appears to be the intended casualty of this political reshuffle. According to multiple sources, party chairperson Goodwills Masimirembwa and his close allies are working to oust Chimhini, thereby opening up a key leadership position for Tagwirei to assume.
ZANU-PF Harare Plots Comeback for Kudakwashe Tagwirei After Central Committee Snub
The maneuver is not just about rehabilitating Tagwirei’s standing within ZANU-PF—it is also being viewed as a tactical move in the party’s broader succession battle. Chimhini is reportedly related to Sports Minister Anselem Sanyatwe, a prominent ally of Vice President Constantino Chiwenga. This has fueled speculation that the push to remove Chimhini is aimed at weakening the Chiwenga faction’s influence in Harare, while simultaneously tightening Mnangagwa’s grip on the party’s internal structures.
“This is more than just about Tagwirei,” said one political analyst familiar with ZANU-PF dynamics. “It’s about factional balance, about who controls key levers of power in the run-up to the 2028 elections and beyond.”
Tagwirei, for his part, has sought to distance himself from any succession-related speculation. Speaking recently amid a surge of public interest in his political activities, he denied any ambitions to contest for the presidency or challenge either Mnangagwa or Chiwenga. “I am not in the race to succeed anyone,” Tagwirei said in a statement that was widely interpreted as an attempt to de-escalate tensions within the party.
Nevertheless, his presence continues to divide opinion in ZANU-PF. As one of Zimbabwe’s most powerful businessmen, Tagwirei has amassed substantial wealth through fuel supply contracts, state-linked tenders, and mining ventures. His financial influence makes him a potent political force—but also a lightning rod for criticism, particularly from those wary of his growing prominence in both government and party affairs.
Some party insiders argue that bringing Tagwirei into the Central Committee would offer ZANU-PF a financial advantage ahead of future electoral contests. Others, however, warn that his presence risks deepening internal rivalries and undermining unity within the already factionalized party.
The Sunday provincial meeting in Epworth is expected to be a defining moment—not only for Tagwirei’s personal ambitions, but for the future balance of power within ZANU-PF. If the proposed reshuffle is approved and Tagwirei is installed in the provincial executive, it could mark the beginning of a new phase in the ruling party’s internal chess game, with wider implications for succession politics and factional dominance.
For now, all eyes are on Harare as the ruling party’s provincial leadership attempts to rewrite the script of Tagwirei’s political rise—less as a stumble, and more as a calculated comeback.
Source- Bulawayo24
